Finding Hope
by mockingbird986
Summary: After overhearing some disturbing information about her abusive husband's latest business transaction, Sophie Dubois leaves for Paris to find her cousin. With his help, will she be able to stop her husband? Will she find love along the way? (Porthos x OC)
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I don't own The Musketeers...only the OC. **

**Hello everyone! This is my first go at writing a fanfic. Please be gentle! I love reviews so please leave some love. :-) This is a Porthos x OC story and I hope you love it! There definitely aren't enough Porthos stories out there. I mean...have you seen that smile and those gorgeous eyes? Sigh. **

**ENJOY!**

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><p>The light poured into her room, waking her gently from her slumber. Sophie had finally slept through the night for the first time in weeks. As if on instinct, her hand drifted to her stomach. Pain ripped through her heart as the memories from the week before flooded her mind followed by extreme hatred for the man who felt it was his mission in life to take every ounce of happiness away from her.<p>

For the first time in a week she felt hungry and decided to make her way down to the kitchens to break her fast. She put on her robe and slippers and headed out of her room, down the hallway and to the stairs that lead down to the main floor. As soon as she reached the top of the staircase, she stopped. The last time she was in this exact same spot she had carried another life inside her. The grief was only slightly overshadowed by her anger. She quickly wiped the tears that had arrived without warning. She didn't want him to have the satisfaction of seeing her cry. Right before she took that first step down the stairs she heard his voice and, by the sounds of it, he wasn't alone.

"I expect this shipment to come in without any problems, Andre. You are to collect the cargo and deliver it to the Berceau de l'Espoir by next Tuesday, is that understood?"

"Yes, Monsieur." replied Andre. He was a snake of a man. The kind that would always stare at a woman just a little too long and would set off warning bells in a her head.

Normally Henri's business transactions were of no interest to Sophie, but hearing the name Berceau de l'Espoir gave her pause. The Berceau de l'Espoir was the largest orphanage in Paris and it was known for the horrible conditions and the awful treatment of the children who, unfortunately, called that place home. It was absolute confusion and curiosity that caused her to quietly walk to the door and eavesdrop. Her husbands business was in sugar and he did very well for himself so why he would be in business with an orphanage was beyond her.

"How many did the men get this time?" said Henri.

"Eight. All under 10 years old." replied Andre.

"Good. Monsieur Laurent will be pleased." She heard her husband reply. She force of what she had just heard pushed her back a step. Her hands flew to her cover her mouth is shock. She couldn't believe it. She must have heard wrong. Granted, Henri was a terrible husband, but would he really do this to children? She couldn't control the sob that escaped her mouth.

"Shh." whispered Henri, "What was that?"

Sophie turned in panic and ran to her room, closing the door as quickly and quietly as possible. She leaned against the door and held her breath as she listened to the footsteps creak down the hall. He stopped right outside her door. She waited for him to leave for what felt like hours. Eventually, she heard him walk away back to his office.

Sophie walked backwards further into her room, her eyes never leaving the door, until she felt the back of her knees hit the bed. She sat down slowly in shock and ran her hands through her auburn curls. What was she going to do? She had to do something. She couldn't just pretend she hadn't overheard that. The more she thought about it, the more sense she made out of what had just happened. The orphanages in the city were paid by the government to feed them, clothe them, and keep a roof over their heads. The more orphans, the more money they received and Henri must have been getting a cut. That made sense, but where was he getting the children? A horrible thought came into her mind. Could he be stealing them?

This was too much. She needed help. She was just a merchants wife with no title. Who would believe her? It was just her word against her husband. She didn't have any friends, her husband made sure of that. The only family she had left was her cousin and even then, she hadn't spoken to him in years. Aramis worked as a musketeer in the Kings regiment in Paris. She didn't want to get him involved in this and jeopardize his career. However, it looked like she didn't have any choice.

Sophie waited until she heard Henri leave the house before she dared leave her room. She'd never been more thankful that she had her own room until this moment. It had been two years since she'd last shared a room with with her husband. He told her it was because he didn't want to bother her when he got home from business meetings late at night, but she had known the truth. She knew he wanted her out of the room so it would be easier for him to bring his other women to the his bed. Sophie had stopped caring about them the same time he had started hitting her.

As soon as she felt safe, she packed a few things and grabbed the only weapon she had to protect herself on her journey. It was a small dagger her father had given her a few months before he had died. It was the only thing she had left of him. She went to her wardrobe and pulled out her green riding cape for the journey which went well with the green skirt and black corset she wore. Once that was done, she made her way down to the kitchen. Adel, their kitchen maid, was already preparing dinner.

"Madam! I'm so happy to see you up and about. Can I make you something to eat?" said Adel sweetly. The blond woman was young to be head of the kitchens, but she was an amazing cook and handled the responsibility well.

"I think I'd like to take advantage of my husbands absence and take a ride out to the pond." Sophie smiled, "Would you mind packing a lunch for me and throwing in a few apples for Jasper?" She knew Adel would understand. Everyone who lived in this house knew its secrets.

Adel nodded her head and got to work. She grabbed a sack and threw in a loaf of bread, some dries meats and cheeses along with a few apples for Sophie's horse. She thanked Adel and headed towards the stables.

She had managed to keep herself together so far, but her confidence was starting to wane. She needed to get out of there as quickly as possible. Luck was on her side when she entered the stables. August, the stable hand had left to exercise one of the horses. She quickly saddled her horse and left toward the pond knowing that the road was only short distance from there. She wanted to make sure, if anyone saw her, they would have the same story as Adel when asked. Her blue eyes scanned the land around her one last time and took off on her way to Paris.

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><p><strong>Ah! My first chapter! I know it's short but I wanted to go ahead and get it out there before I lost my nerve. I hope you enjoyed it! <strong>

**Also, on a serious note, I realize that infertility, miscarriages, and abuse are very real and are sensitive issues for some people. My heart goes out to anyone who is having issues with fertility or is the victim of abuse. Please realize that is is rated "M" for a reason. Not only will there be detailed sexual scenes later, but there will be other adult situations in this story. **


	2. Chapter 2

**Oh my goodness you guys! Thank you so much to everyone who read the first chapter! Especially all those who followed and reviewed (you know who you are! 3 ) Here is chapter two! Please note to all those who are reading that are from the UK, we're only up to episode 5 so thats all I'm going off of. **

**Also, I'm looking for a Beta! I know this thing is probably filled with bad grammar and spelling mistakes and I'd like to have someone who wouldn't mind stoping these horrible faux pas before they happen on the internet (for the whole world to see...FOREVER). **

**Anyway, on to the story! Happy reading!**

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><p>The journey to Paris was, thankfully, uneventful. For the most part, Sophie had the road mostly to herself. She did pass a few groups of travelers along the way, but she kept close to the tree line for just those reasons. She was armed (although, just barely) but she felt safer if she could easily hide in the trees when she heard someone coming. She was all too aware how dangerous it could be for a woman traveling alone.<p>

The solidarity did give her a chance to really think about the whole situation. As soon as Henri came home and realized that she was gone, he was going to come looking for her. Not because she had broken his heart when she left him but because he owned her and no one took away Henri's possessions. He was going to be absolutely furious and what he would do to her once he found her, she could only imagine. Sophie became antsy just thinking about it and nudged Jasper in his ribs, pushing him to go just a little bit faster. The only thought that gave her any joy was the possibility of seeing Aramis again. She hadn't seen him in over five years and she missed him dearly. They were like siblings when they were young and now, were each others only family. The last time she saw him was the day of her wedding. He tried desperately to convince her father to cancel, but the need for money was too great. Everyone knew Henri had a temper, but she liked to think, like her, no one thought he would be the monster he ended up becoming. She wondered if Aramis would even recognize her anymore. Sure, she had the same curly auburn hair that frizzed in the slightest humidity and the same blue-gray eyes that weren't quite bright enough to be striking but weren't quite gray enough to be intriguing either. The small amount of freckles that she'd had when she was young had multiplied now and covered almost every square inch of her. Henri had always warned her that her need to be out in the sun would ruin her already dull face. She guessed he was right. To top it all off, her body was nothing like it used to be. Five years ago her figure had been petite in in every way, but ever since her pregnancy, her body had changed. She had become rounder and her husband felt the need to point it out every time she saw him. However, she supposed what was most different was her demeanor. Her natural defiance and spunk had been slowly beaten out of her, like a wild horse being broken to become a tame, soul-less animal. Her marriage not only taken her beauty, but had taken her spirit as well.

Sophie turned her thoughts back to her cousin. She smiled at her memory of him. Aramis, always been a kind and thoughtful boy, had turned into a charming and brave man. He had always taken care of her when they were children and she only hoped that he would do the same now. She had already decided to not tell him about the baby and Henri's violence. She wanted Aramis' protection, not his vengeance. If she told him everything , he would most likely kill Henri and while the did give her a disturbing sense of satisfaction, she didn't want any blood on her hands. She also didn't want his pity...she was already ashamed enough as it was.

Before she even realized it, the sun had begun to set and she could make out the outline of the city. Sophie suddenly came to the realization that she didn't know where Aramis lived. She assumed he spent most of his at the garrison, but she didn't want to go there looking for him. This was too much of a family matter and she wasn't quite ready to make this an official investigation, especially with her lack of evidence. She assumed he might be at a brothel, but for obvious reasons, she didn't want to go there either. The only other place she could think of would be a tavern. After all, he had to eat (and drink) and, if she remembered correctly, her darling cousin couldn't even boil an egg. With her mind made up she headed towards the garrison, looking for the closest tavern.

A few streets away from the garrison, she came upon a tavern with a half dozen musketeers gathered outside. It looked like a clean enough for a tavern in Paris. Sophie hadn't been to the city in years but the one thing that always stuck with her was how dirty it was. Granted, most of the buildings were beautiful, but the streets were constantly covered in filth and there was always a lingering smell in the air. She could only assume that the longer you stayed, the less offensive it became. She walked into the tavern and found a table opposite the front door. A young blond girl came up to her as she sat down.

"Good evening madam. What can I get for you?" she asked with a pretty smile.

Sophie smiled back at her, "Just some wine and bread please."

The girl nodded her head and left. Sophie opened her purse that she had tied to her belt to pull out a few coins and felt the one piece of paper that she took with her. She was glad she had taken a few moments to grab some money from her husbands "secret hiding place". It was always stashed in a box in the bottom drawer of his desk in his office. She assumed he thought no one had the stomach to steal from him. Well, he was mostly right. Before she left the office she took a few moments to check the contents of Henri's desk hoping to find something to prove her story. She came upon a piece of paper that looked to be an invoice for eight 50 pound bags of sugar. The only reasons why it gave her pause was because of the amount that was due. It was about ten times than what her husband normally charges. She had folded it up and put it if to her purse with the coin.

After a few hours of people watching and making friends with the blond girl, who's named ended up being Charlotte, she began to wonder if she had picked the right place.

Charlotte walked by the table with a few empty dishes on a tray and fixed her with an inquisitive stare, "You look anxious. Is something wrong?"

Sophie stared down at her hands and noticed her fidgeting. She moved her hands below the table and smiled at Charlotte.

"No, nothing is wrong. Its just...," she sighed, "I was just hoping to surprise my cousin. He doesn't know I came to visit him and now I'm worried I won't find him."

"Oh," Charlotte widened her eyes in surprise. "What's his name? If he comes here often then I probably know who he is."

"I'm not sure if he frequents this place, but in any case, his name is Aramis. Have you heard of him?" Sophie asked with hope in her voice.

"Aramis? Is he a musketeer?" Charlotte said, her whole face brightening up at the name.

Sophie nodded her head eagerly.

"Then you've come to the right place! He's been coming here for quite some time. Everyone loves Aramis." she said dreamily. Sophie tried to keep herself from laughing. The young girl practically sighed his name.

"He usually comes in right about now. Would you like me to let him know your hear when I see him?" Charlotte asked.

"No, thank you." Sophie said quickly, "I sort of want to surprise him." she reached into her purse and pulled out a few coins and handed them to Charlotte. She leaned in close to her as if conspiring great plot. "Would you mind bringing him some wine when he comes in and let him know it came from this table? But try and keep my name and relation secret."

Charlotte's eyes sparkled, "Of course."

A little less than half an hour later she saw Charlotte wave at her from the bar and then eagerly point towards the front door. Her heart kept to her throat when she saw him. He looked so different than the last time they'd met. His hair had gotten longer and he had grown a goatee. It made him look incredibly dashing. She knew instantly that he did it for the women. Aramis wasn't vain, but he would do almost anything to attract the female sex. She noticed a tall, dark and handsome man behind him, laughing like there was nothing wrong with the world. Sophie figured they must have been good friends since they seemed so comfortable around each other. As they made their way over to an empty table, she saw Charlotte walk over to them with a cup of wine.

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><p>Porthos was glad that today was coming to a close. Today he, along with Athos and Aramis, escorted the King and Queen around the city. As if tediously walking around the city wasn't enough to drive him crazy, Aramis felt it prudent to make inappropriate stares at the Queen all day. It was exhausting and he wanted nothing more than to drown himself in a bottle of wine and relax.<p>

"You shouldn't be so obvious with your affections," chastised Porthos as they walked into the door of the tavern.

Aramis shook his head in frustration. "I can't help myself Porthos. She is my weakness. She is my sun after a never ending night."

"Hmph," Porthos rolled his eyes. "Well your sun is going to get you the noose and because I'm your friend, I will foolishly try to help you and then I'll be swinging by the neck right beside you."

"Then let me try and make amends for your death which I will inevitably cause." Aramis said, "Let me buy you a drink."

Porthos couldn't help the laugh that escaped him. They made their way to their usual table and looked around for a barmaid.

"It looks like Charlotte has a new talent for reading minds." Porthos nodded his head towards the bar.

"Good evening gentleman!" Charlotte said with a big smile as she laid a cup of wine on the table.

"Porthos, we should become less predictable." said Aramis as Charlotte moved the wine glass towards him. "Although, it seems you haven't made the same impression as me."

Charlotte smiled and rolled her eyes, "Don't flatter yourself. This isn't from me."

Aramis fixed her with a curious expression, lifting a single eyebrow.

"This is from the lady at the the table in the corner." she tilted her head towards a table opposite the front door.

Porthos looked at the woman sitting at the table. He didn't recognize her and therefore, he thought, she either was someone from his past or a new prospect. He secretly hoped it was a new lover so he wouldn't have to be on his toes every time the Queen came around.

"Sophie!" Aramis stood from the table and moved quickly towards the woman and she opened her arms to him.

He laughed and grabbed her about the waist spinning her in the air. She squealed lightly in surprise and hugged him tight when he put her back on the ground.

"What are you doing here?" Aramis said with absolute wonder in his voice.

"Are you not glad to see me?" replied Sophie. Her eyes twinkling in jest.

"Of course I am." Aramis took her arm and looped it through his, "Come. Come take a seat at our table and tell me how you've been."

Aramis lead her through the crowd until they reached the table. Porthos was watching the whole scene with absolute curiosity. It wasn't as if women never bought his handsome friend a drink, but his usual reaction involved some charming words and a promise of love. This was different. Aramis obviously knew this girl.

"Sophie," said Aramis, "This is my very good friend and fellow musketeer, Porthos. Porthos, this is my beautiful cousin, Sophie Dubois."

Porthos stood and reached for her gloved hand, giving her knuckles a light kiss. "It looks like you aren't the prettiest person in your family after all Aramis." Porthos lightly chuckled. "It's a pleasure."

She smiled slightly, her cheeks blushing. Aramis pulled out a chair and she took a seat. Porthos took the opportunity to look her over. He wasn't quite lying when he called her pretty, but she had a sensuous look about her that made the word pretty seem childish. He silently gave thanks to the current style of women's clothing. She wore the same modern corset that he'd often seen Constance wear and her breasts were on proud display. They were a little on the large size and he quite liked that in a woman. She wore her hair up in the curled style that you'd see with most women, but it looked disheveled, like she had been riding all day.

Aramis took her hand on the table, "How are you? And where is that bastard of a husband?"

Sophie pursed her lips and sent a slight glare towards Aramis, which only seemed to make Aramis' smile bigger.

"I am fine, thank you. And Henri is...well I would assume he is at home."

"Wait," Aramis suddenly became serious, "Please tell me you didn't ride here all alone? Sophie, that isn't safe. Just think what could have happened to you if you'd met someone of the wrong sort along the way." He sighed as if he knew it didn't matter what he said. "Does he know your here?"

"Yes I did and Henri isn't an idiot. I'm sure he'll come here looking for me. He knows your the only family I have." she said with a frustrated edge to her voice, pulling her hand from Aramis.

"Sophie. Why would you do something so stupid?" said Aramis while Sophie's mouth flew open in argument. "You know what kind of a man he is."

"Why thank you for reminding me Aramis," her voice dripped with sarcasm. "You don't need to tell me about the man I married. I've lived with him for over 5 years and trust me, I know all too well what he'll do with me when he finds me." she lowered her voice to a whisper.

She looked over to Porthos and he could see she looked a little embarrassed and unsure.

Aramis looked at him and back to Sophie, "Don't worry. You can trust Porthos. He has saved my life on more than one occasion."

Porthos could tell he was intruding on a private conversation.

"I think I'll give you two a moment of privacy. I'm sure you have a lot to catch up on." he started to stand.

"No," Sophie reached her hand across the table to place it on top of his. "If Aramis trusts you so do I. Please stay."

He looked into her eyes and noticed an underlying desperation. The deep blue of her eyes reminded him of the sky during a storm. He nodded his head in agreement and sat back down.

She looked to Aramis and took a breath before speaking.

"This morning, while on my way to the kitchens, I overheard speaking coming from my husbands office. Henri was speaking to one of his employees named Andre, a pig of a man." she spat his name out in disgust. "I heard them speaking of some cargo being taken to the Berceau de l'Espoir. When he asked Andre how many they had, he said that they had eight all under the age of ten." she paused as if waiting for them to come to the same conclusion she had.

"Are you saying that your husband is selling children to the Berceau de l'Espoir?" Aramis asked in shock.

Porthos could feel his anger building. He had spent some time at this particular orphanage when he was a child and he knew, from personal experience, the awful things that went on there.

"Where is he getting the children?" Porthos asked.

Sophie turned to look at him and shook her head, "I don't know. All I know is that he said something about men taking them." She looked at the tabletop, like she was too ashamed to look them in the eye. "Henri must have heard me outside the door because he stopped talking and I could hear him walking towards me so I ran to my room. I'm a coward. I should have confronted him about his actions." Porthos could see her eyes fill with tears.

"No. You did the right thing. Who knows what Henri is capable of. Any man who feels content selling children shouldn't be someone to take lightly. You did the right thing." Aramis took her hands that she had been fiddling with in her lap and gave it a light squeeze.

"Do you have any evidence that this transaction took place?" asked Porthos.

"After he left, I went into his office to grab some of the money he has hidden in his desk for my journey here. While I was there I saw this." She pulled out a piece of paper and handed it to Aramis.

"This is an invoice for sugar," Aramis looked at her in confusion. "I don't understand, Henri's business is in sugar."

Sophie took the paper and pointed to the bottom of the page, "But look at the amount due. It's at least ten times what he would normally charge."

Porthos looked at the paper. Something seemed off.

"Are you sure?" said Porthos. She responded with a nod of her head.

He looked to Aramis briefly with an apologetic look before turning back to her, "And forgive me, but this whole situation seems a bit odd to me. By the look of your clothes and jewels, I assume your husband is very well off and seems to give you what you require." He saw Sophie reach for the locket about her neck, "Why would you betray your husband who has given you such nice things? I gathered by the way you two speak that this Henri isn't the nicest of men, but many women marry specifically for comfort and security. Why would you risk a life like that?"

"Porthos..." Aramis started, but was quickly interrupted by Sophie.

She stood so quickly that her chair hit the floor with a loud crash. "How dare you?! How dare you presume to know anything about me. My reasons are my own and they are of no concern to you." she spat at him.

Aramis looked at him in warning and Porthos put his hands up in surrender. He could tell how angry she was by the fire in her eyes.

"I apologize. I didn't mean to offend you." he said softly. He wanted to make his concerns clear but he didn't want to make an enemy of her, let alone offend Aramis.

"I'm sure Porthos didn't mean anything buy it, now please," Aramis spoke softly as he stood to right her chair, "have a seat and calm down. We are attracting attention."

Sophie and Porthos both looked around and noticed the amount of eyes fixed in their direction.

"Maybe we should leave." suggested Porthos.

"That is probably a good idea." Aramis said while holding his arm out to Sophie, "What do you say we head to my place and finish this conversation."

Sophie nodded, obviously embarrassed. Porthos threw down a few coins on the table and followed them out the door. He took a deep breath and realized that his hopes for a quite evening were officially gone.


	3. Chapter 3

**Hi guys! After having the worst week ever, I dove head first into this story and wrote my pants off. You'll be having two chapters today! Thats right! Two! **

**This chapter was really hard for me to write since its one of those connecting chapters that gets us to the good stuff. Yes, its necessary for the plot, but not near as fun to write. Either way, I hope you enjoy it! Thanks for reading!**

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><p>Sophie followed Aramis and Porthos out of the tavern. She immediately regretted asking Porthos to stay. For some reason he could see right through her and it terrified her. Thankfully, Aramis was more than willing to take her word for it. She did feel guilty about keeping secrets from him, but any additional information about what had happened between her and Henri wouldn't help the situation.<p>

She walked over to the post where she had tied up Jasper and loosened the knot.

"Unbelievable." She heard Aramis laugh from behind her. "This mean, old thing is still alive? And you road him all the way here? I'm surprised he made it."

She turned to glare at him playfully. "You leave Jasper alone. Just because you two didn't get along when you were younger doesn't mean you should treat him poorly."

"Get along?" he said, "This damn creature tried to kill me more than once."

"You were an annoying child so I don't really blame him for it." She said as she smiled at the memories and scratched Jaspers nose.

"He's the only horse I ever ride and I knew he could make it." She said.

She watched as Porthos came a little too close and Jasper nipped at him in warning.

"Besides," she said, "He's a great judge of character." She heard him huff behind her.

"Damn horse." Porthos said as he scowled at her.

"Alright," said Aramis, trying to keep the peace, "Let's make our way to the garrison."

"The garrison?" Sophie asked.

"We need to bring this matter to the captain." Porthos said as he walked away. "If you're telling the truth, then this is a problem that he would like to solve."

She glared at him. He still didn't believe that she was telling the truth.

"I really don't think that necessary." She said sternly. "I have hardly any evidence. You can't tell me he'll take action on the word of a woman and a piece of paper that shows someone overpaid for sugar?"

"Maybe not," said Aramis, "But he'll take the word of his musketeers very seriously."

Sophie didn't think this was a good idea. She didn't know what she expected Aramis to do when she came to him for help, but she didn't think he'd do this. She knew something was wrong but she wasn't ready yet to make this official. She turned and reached for Aramis' arm, stopping him from continuing.

"Are you this is the right thing to do, Aramis?" she asked. "What if I'm wrong? What if this makes it worse?"

He looked at her with concern in his eyes and placed his hands on her arms.

"Sophie," he said, "I know you're worried but you can trust us. We'll go speak to the captain and we'll come up with a plan."

"It's not you I don't trust." She said as she heard Porthos make a disgruntled noise from behind her.

Aramis sent a glare Porthos' way and turned back to Sophie, "If you trust me, then you'll need to trust in my ability to handle this. I won't let anything happen to you, I promise."

She signed and nodded at him. Aramis sent her a reassuring smile, took the reins from her, and started towards the garrison. After about 10 minutes they came upon a fortress the likes she had never seen before. Sophie's father used to take her to Paris when she was a little girl but she'd never set her eyes on the musketeer garrison before now. There were many men wearing similar capes to Aramis and Porthos (she could only assume they were musketeers as well) walking about. Some were talking, others eating, and some training, but they had the same feel to them. They were obviously soldiers and being surrounded by them immediately made her feel a little bit safer. Aramis took Jasper to the stables and handed off the horse to the stable boy.

"This way." He said as he started climbing up a staircase.

She looked at Porthos, waiting for him to follow, when he swooped his arm towards the stairs and accompanied by a slight bow. If anyone else had done it, she would have considered it an act of chivalry. But after the small time she'd spent with Porthos, she knew it was a condescending gesture. She rolled her eyes and walked up the stairs. How Aramis could be friends, with that man, she'd never know.

Once Aramis got to the top of the stairs, he turned right and walked to the last door. He knocked and she heard a voice tell them to enter. The office was plainly decorated and there were two men already in the room. The one behind the desk she assumed was the captain. He was older but had a kind look about him. The other one looked a few years older than her and was quite handsome but he had this look of sadness upon him, as if every day was a struggle. She knew the feeling all too well and instantly felt a kinship to him. It was probably silly and she might have been wrong, but the idea made her feel better.

"Captain, are we interrupting anything?" said Aramis.

The man he called captain shook his head and looked at Sophie with extreme curiosity.

"It's nothing that can't be continued at another time." He said to Aramis. He walked to Sophie and bowed his head.

"This is my cousin, Sophie Dubois." Said Aramis

"Captain Treville, Mademoiselle. It's an honor to meet you." He said kindly. She immediately liked him.

"It's Madame actually," she said, "but you may call me Sophie."

"And this is Athos, another friend of mine and musketeer." Said Aramis as Athos nodded his head in greeting. Sophie didn't miss the slightly confused look on his face and reminded herself to ask Aramis about it later.

Captain Treville walked back behind his desk and looked to Aramis. "Well? What can I help you with?"

Aramis went on to tell the story that she had told him at the tavern and showed the captain the invoice she had found. At the end the captain looked at Aramis and Porthos with a stern look.

"This is a very serious accusation and if something like this is happening in my city I want it stopped." Said Captain Treville as he walked to Sophie.

"Thank you for bringing this to our attention, Madame. We will look into this and if anything is amiss we'll take care of it." He said with a smile before he turned back to the others. "Aramis, you and Athos will go to the manor and look for any other evidence."

Sophie looked up started. If Aramis went back her house, where was she going to stay? She looked around and noticed the same confused look on everyone else's faces.

"Sir, shouldn't I stay here and look keep an eye on Sophie? The possibilities of her husband coming to look for her are very great." Aramis said.

"I know they are, that is why she will be staying with Porthos at all times." The captain said as Porthos and Sophie started to object.

"Monsieur, that is not at all appropriate for a married woman…" started Sophie.

"I agree. Sir, I should go in place of Aramis." said Porthos urgently.

Sophie looked up to Porthos, startled that they actually agreed on something.

"No," said Captain Treville, "Aramis knows the area and will be better equipped to deal with her husband since they've met."

"Then can't she stay with Madame Bonacieux? Surely that would be more appropriate." Said Porthos.

The captain fixed Porthos with a glare, "Do you think that Madame Bonacieux would be able to defend herself and Madam Dubois if he were to find them? Besides, I think we've leant a little too heavily on her recently. She isn't a musketeer and shouldn't be treated as such.

"Yes sir." Said Porthos, obviously giving up.

Sophie couldn't blame him. She couldn't think of any other reasons herself. After all, what he said did make sense but it didn't stop her from becoming depressed about the whole situation. This was going to be a long few days.

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><p>Porthos left the captains office incredibly frustrated. He knew that Sophie was either lying about something or she wasn't telling them the whole truth. Anyone who became that defensive over a simple question had to be hiding something. On one hand, he was worried Aramis and Athos would be walking into a trap, but on the other he could see the love Sophie had for her cousin and didn't think she would put him in danger…intentionally. That was the problem. As a soldier, you are trained to never go into battle without as much information as you can get and Sophie was keeping information from them. If something were to happen to Aramis and Athos because she didn't feel the need to tell them everything, she wasn't going to be able to live with herself. He was going to have to find out what it was himself.<p>

Aramis stopped in the courtyard and looked intensely at Porthos.

"Make sure you take care of her. She's the only family I have left." He said.

"You have my word." Said Porthos as he nodded, "Be careful."

"Wait. Are you leaving now?" said Sophie, concern lacing her voice.

"It'll take a day to get there, we should start as soon as possible." Said Athos as he made a gesture to the stable boy for his and Aramis' horses. "Porthos, take a look at the orphanage. See if you can find anything suspicious going on there."

Porthos nodded in understanding and watched them head up to their rooms to grab the usual pack they all kept by the door just for these types of situations. It was filled with a spare change of clothes, water, dried meat, and extra ammunition.

He turned to look at Sophie and saw her glaring at him. He didn't know what he did to make her so angry. All he did was ask her a question and try to be a gentleman. He crossed his arms in front of his chest and looked at her. He already knew that she didn't want to stay with him but he couldn't help but get a little enjoyment out of seeing her squirm. To him, she was just a spoiled woman who didn't like her actions called into question.

"Is something wrong?" He said, the corner of his mouth lifting is a smile.

"Oh, shut up." She said. "You aren't an idiot so don't pretend to be. It isn't a good look on you."

He opened his mouth to reply when she walked towards him and sighed. "Let's be honest. I don't like you and you don't like me so let's make it easier on ourselves and try to be civil to each other."

"That's fine with me." He grumbled as he watched Aramis and Porthos finish packing up their horse. She was already driving him crazy and he had at least 3 more days of this if not more. He wasn't sure he was going to survive.

Aramis walked up to Porthos and shook his hand followed by Athos.

"We should be back in no later than five days." Said Athos. Porthos nodded in understanding.

Sophie opened her arms to Aramis and kissed his cheek.

"Be careful. Don't do anything stupid or you'll have me to deal with." She said.

Aramis smiled and laughed, "If anything was to scare me away from doing anything reckless it would be coming back to your wrath."

She laughed with him and looked up at Athos who was already seated on his horse.

"Thank you for your help. You'll never know how much this means to me." She said. Athos nodded in understanding.

Porthos watched as they rode out of the garrison towards the gates of the city.

He turned to Sophie and said, "I guess I'll show you my room."

She nodded and followed him up the stairs to his room.

"Wait! I forgot my bag." She said as she ran back down to the stables.

She retrieved her bag and continued to follow him back up the stairs to his room. It was simply furnished with a bed, table, wardrobe, and a chair. He assumed he would be sleeping on the floor for the next few days so he reached into the small wardrobe and pulled out a blanket along with his sleep roll that he brought with him on missions.

"What are you doing?" Sophie said from behind him.

"Well, I don't know about you, but sleeping on a hard, cold floor doesn't seem very appealing without a little bit of cushion." He said as he rolled out the bed and placed a blanket on top.

"How very kind of you." She said very sarcastically. He turned around to see her standing in a stance he was already becoming too familiar with. She stood with her arms crossed and head tilted to the side with her lips pulled into a tight line. He realized she thought he was going to make her sleep on the floor.

"This is for me. You can have the bed." He said. He was getting tired of her constantly thinking only the worst of him.

"Oh." She said. "Thank you."

"You shouldn't seem so surprised. I'm actually a pretty nice guy once you get to know me." He said. She didn't seem to believe him.

"Let's just go to sleep. I've had a really long day." She said with a sigh.

"Fine." He said as he started to unbutton his jacket. Her eyes got wide and she turned around with lightning speed. Her cheeks were flushed with embarrassment. As awful as it was, he really did get enjoyment out of watching her feel uncomfortable.

"Don't worry, Madame. I'm not getting completely undressed." He chuckled lightly.

"Oh. Alright." She said as she turned back around slowly.

He hung his jacket and his shirt up and placed his shoulder guard on the table next to him. Then he took off his boots and set them next to his makeshift bed. He pulled back the blanket on the floor and laid down. He laid there for a few minutes when he realized that she was just standing there watching him.

"See something you like Madame?" He said with a knowing smile.

"Don't be ridiculous." She said with a huff.

He looked at her waiting to continue. She started fidgeting with her hands and bit her bottom lip. He couldn't help but watch the way her lip pulled between her teeth and immediately felt a pull of attraction. He groaned softly and rubbed his face with is hands. This week was going to be worse than he thought.

"I, um, I need to change." She said.

He sighed in understanding and stood up to leave the room.

"I'll be right outside the door. Just let me know when you're done." He said as he closed the door behind him. He felt ridiculous standing outside his own door with half dressed, but he didn't want to be disrespectful.

He could hear clothing hit the floor and her feet shuffling quickly about his room. A few minutes later he heard her tell him to come in. When he walked in, he looked to the bed and saw her covered from head to toe with the blanket with her back to the room. He shook his head, blew out the candle, and climbed back into bed. This was going to be a long week.


	4. Chapter 4

**Oh man you guys! Chapter number two for the day! This is a super special chapter. This is the chapter that inspired me to write this story. I hope you love it as much as I do! **

**Thanks for reading!**

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><p>Sophie was exhausted. Between listening to Porthos snore the entire night and her thoughts running away with her, she didn't get much sleep.<p>

Last night, when he took off his jacket, she had turned around immediately. The whole situation was so ridiculously inappropriate that she didn't know what else to do. She had to admit, he was unbelievably handsome. She mind flew back to the night before. She could see every muscle I'm his back move as he had undressed. Her mouth had gone dry and she'd tried to look away but had felt rooted in place. Her cheeks had flushed with wanting and she knew that if he looked at her he was going to see every unsuitable thought that had entered her mind. She just had kept telling herself that she was a married woman...she was a married woman.

Shaking her head to clear it of her memories, she sat up in bed. He hadn't woken up yet so she took the opportunity to tip toe around the room to get dressed. She found her bag where she'd left it the night before and grabbed the white chemise that was inside. Looking at the clean garment, she sighed. What she wouldn't give for a bath. She changed quickly and sat back down on the bed. Lifting her knees up to her chest, she took the opportunity to take a good look at her keeper. Yesterday, he had towered over her 5'2" frame and had walked with a swagger that made her think that he felt very highly of himself. His hair was dark and curly and she had briefly wondered what it would feel like to run her fingers through it. His body was thick and muscular which had obviously come from years of training but it was his eyes that made her knees weak. His eyes were so dark they were almost black and she felt like they could see straight through to her soul. Add the scar on his left eye that made him look just a little bit dangerous and he could turn her into a wobbly mess with just one look. It was pathetic. She hadn't yet seen him smile and wondered what those full lips would look like curved up at the corners.

On the foor, she saw Porthos shift in his sleep and she began to think of the next few days with dread. She had to spend every waking moment with this man and he left her with such conflicting feelings. He made her frustrated, annoyed, flustered, filled her with desire, and made her absolutely terrified. Somehow he knew she was keeping secrets from them and it made her nervous. The thought of adding conflict to the mix made her exhausted just thinking about it. With that in mind, she made a decision. She was going to try and get along with him. The didn't have to be friends but they could at least try to respect each other.

Porthos stared to stir and he grunted as he sat up, the blanket falling from his body as he rubbed his face with his hands. Her eyes were drawn to him as they were the night before and she blushed as he looked at her.

"How did you sleep?" He said as he stood and walked to a bucket of water in the corner.

"Fine, thank you. And you? I'm sorry you had to sleep on the floor." She said. She honestly did feel awful about it. She had been very short with him yesterday and she didn't want to start the day off in the same miserable way.

"To be honest, I've slept in worse places so considering the alternative, I slept pretty well." He said after splashing some water on his face. He seemed to be a morning person. At least one of them was.

"Are you hungry? There's a place around the corner we can go and grab something to eat." He said.

He walked to the wardrobe and pulled on a new shirt and the same jacket he had worn yesterday.

"I am. Thank you." She replied.

"Alright," He said with a smile, "Let's go."

After a few minutes walking in complete silence, Sophie and Porthos walked into the tavern and looked around for a place to sit. Sophie knew as soon as she walked in that she liked the place. The patrons ate their breakfast a while a young man played a sweet calming tune on the fiddle. The whole room seemed to ooze comfort with the fire in the hearth casting a warm glow about the tavern. Her focus was pulled when she felt a firm hand on her back gently guiding her toward the back of the room in the direction of an empty table.

Sophie turned and smiled at Porthos, "This is a lovely place. Thank you for taking me here."

She figured if she had to stay with Porthos she might as well try to get along with him. They didn't trust each other, that was certain, but it didn't mean they couldn't at least try to be civil towards each other. She was trying.

"This is the only place in Paris where the whores don't outnumber the patrons." He chuckled. "I thought you might feel comfortable here."

Apparently, he was trying too. Sophie smiled and turned her attention back to the empty table they were walking towards. A voice caught her attention and made freeze. Two tables over, making his way towards them, she'd noticed a man a few years older than her with black hair that was starting to gray at the temples and an deceivingly charming smile. One that could easily turn her blood cold. She desperately looked around for a place to hide and noticed a small alcove to the left, hidden in shadow. Panicking, she grabbed Porthos by the lapels of his coat and pulled him into the alcove, smashing herself into the wall in the process. It wasn't enough. He was going to see her if he walked by.

"What are you doing?!" Porthos exclaimed.

"Shhhh!" she whispered, "Quick! Kiss me!"

"What?!" he exclaimed, looking rather shocked.

She stomped her foot in frustration, "Oh, never mind!"

She kept her grip firm on his jacket and pulled his head towards her, hoping she had the acting skills to make it look real. As soon as their lips touched, she realized it wasn't going to take much effort. His lips were full, warm and they moved in such a way that heat immediately pooled into her belly. No man had ever caused her body to react like that. One of his hands moved to cup her face and the other to firmly grip her waist. She loosened her grip on his jacket and one of her hands moved to the back of his neck and to pull him closer. His tongue began to slowly trace her lower lip and she couldn't help the low, purring moan that escaped the back of the throat.

Porthos suddenly pulled away using the wall to push away from her. "Well," his is breath was ragged, "That was unexpected."

She let out a shaky breath. She could feel the heat move from her belly directly to her cheeks in utter embarrassment. "I apologize sir. I know that this is not proper conduct for a lady..."

He put his hands on her shoulders, "Stop. I wasn't asking for an apology. I just want to know what brought that on. Besides, I rather like your un-lady like conduct." He winked at her and brought one corner of his mouth up in a smile.

He was teasing her. If it hadn't reminded Sophie of the reasons for her actions in the first place she would have smacked him. She didn't appreciate being mocked.

"Jerome!" she quickly looked around the tavern and sighed, relieved that she didn't see him. "Thank god." she said, resting against the wall.

"Who's Jerome?" he asked. His eyebrow arched up emphasizing the question.

"My husbands brother. He's not a good man. In fact, he doesn't usually come to Paris. He hates it. He's always complaining about how dirty it is." she spoke quickly, rambling. "I didn't want him to see me and tell Henri, that's why I kissed you."

She heard him make some type of grumbling sound. She was becoming more aware that even though Porthos didnt speak many words, he spoke volumes with the random sounds he made. It irritated her to no end. He grabbed her hand and started pulling her back to the table that was their original destination.

"What are you doing? We should leave! He could be back any second!" she said.

"Oh, calm down. The table that he just came from has the remaining scraps of his breakfast. He probably won't be back until noon at least. Besides, I'm hungry." he said, speaking as if she were a small child.

She glared at him and sat down in the chair he pulled out for her. She crossed her arms over her chest and refused to look at him. She couldn't believe how much every little thing he did annoyed her. He was an exhausting, brute of a man who always seemed to know how to exactly how to irritate her. However, it wasn't just him she was annoyed with, she was also frustrated and embarrassed with herself. She felt like she was sixteen again. She had kissed men before and never had she reacted is such a wonton way. All she could do is hope that Aramis would find something at the manor and come back quickly. She didn't want to spend any more time with this man than was necessary.

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><p>This woman grated at his nerves. He prided himself on being a gentleman and, somehow, Sophie brought out the absolute worse in him. She made him short with his temper and she always seemed to make him feel like an incompetent child.<p>

Plus, he was attracted to her which made everything worse. He couldn't deny it, as much as he wanted to. When she kissed him she awakened a side of him that he had pushed away a long time ago. If he had to be honest with himself, he was a little disappointed for the reason she kissed him. At first he was shocked and then he was pleasantly surprised. She tasted like sweet honey and he couldn't keep himself from reacting to her touch. As soon as he heard that beautiful sound of her moaning in pleasure, he could feel himself begin to harden. He had to pull away to distance himself from her in order get back some manner of control. Who knew someone so cold and distant could give off so much heat? His body's own reaction had made him feel like a school boy. He waived over the barmaid, desperately needing a distraction.

"You're hungry. You should eat something." he said. He watched her eyes flash in annoyance. Apparently he couldn't say anything right today.

"Don't tell me what I should and shouldn't do. I'm a grown woman and I can determine if I need to eat without your input." she said.

"Fine." he grumbled.

"Fine." she said.

If she didn't want to eat, she could starve for all he cared.

The barmaid hesitantly approached the table. He was sure she could see the tension that radiated off of them.

"Can I get you anything?" she said.

Porthos opened her mouth to speak but was instantly cut off.

"I'll have some bread and wine please." Sophie said with a kind smile to the barmaid.

"Unbelievable." He said with a shake of his head.

"I'm sorry," Sophie looked at him, the smile immediately replaced with a scowl, "Did you have something you wanted to say?"

"I do actually. Why are you so damn stubborn? It's starting to become extremely tiring." He said as he leaned over the table to her.

"Stubborn?" Sophie said as she slammed her hands onto the table in defiance. "I am not stubborn. I am an absolutely reasonable person. It's you who's stubborn! I've never met such a pig-headed man in all my life."

"Pig-headed? If you weren't Aramis' own flesh and blood I'd…." he started.

"What?" She said in confrontation, "You'd hit me?"

Porthos mouth opened in shock. He didn't know what to say. She had said that like she was daring him to do it, but he could see this strange calm fear in her eyes. Yes, she annoyed the hell out of him, but he didn't want to hurt her.

"Go ahead," she said softly, "It wouldn't be the first time I was hit by a man." He could see her eyes starting to glass over in unshed tears.

"Sophie," He said calmly, "I would never lift a hand to you. I've never hit a woman in my life and I don't plan to start now."

She stared at him for a moment before turning from him to try and discreetly wipe her eyes. It was at this moment when he realized the barmaid was still standing there, watching with uneasy curiosity.

"I'll have the same please." He said, waving his hand in dismissal as she nodded and walked way.

"Sophie…" he started. He didn't know what he was going to say but he felt the need to say something…anything.

"I'm sorry." She said, "I shouldn't have said that."

"No." He said and as he sat back in his chair. "It's I who should apologize. I've been treating you unfairly. It isn't right of me to make judgments on you when I don't know anything about you."

Sophie kept her eyes on the table and started fiddling with her hands. He reached across the table, his own large hand dwarfing her small ones. He felt her tense and immediately regretted the last ten minutes. He didn't know what she'd been through, but he was certain it was more serious than he originally thought.

"Let's start over." He said. Sophie looked up at him with curiosity. "If we are going to be sharing a room for the next few days, I'd like to try and be friends if we can."

Sophie sighed and looked at him with a small smile. He hoped it meant he would take the olive branch he was extending. She moved her hands away from his and reached her right arm across the table as if to shake his hand.

"Hello," she said with a smile, "I'm Sophie Dubois."

He smiled and took her hand. "Porthos du Vallon. It's very nice to meet you."


	5. Chapter 5

**Happy Wednesday you guys! I love me a little Sophie/Porthos banter. Enjoy!**

**P.S. Thanks to everyone who reviewed and followed! It really brightens my day when I see you all loving this story. :)**

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><p>Sophie sat back in her seat as the barmaid walked up to the table to deliver their food and drinks.<p>

"Does Aramis know?" said Porthos. She looked up suddenly, shocked at his bluntness. The smile he'd had on his face moments ago was gone, replaced with a very serious expression. She knew what he was talking about.

"I don't think so. Aramis is aware that he isn't a good man, but no, I don't think he knows." She said as she crossed her arms in front of her. She didn't want to be interrogated and she didn't like that he assumed that he could ask her these questions.

"You should tell him."

"I can't," she said with a frown, "Don't you think I would if I could? If I tell him then he'll kill Henri and I don't want any blood on my hands, even if it is his." He was quiet for a second before he spoke, as if he were carefully thinking about his next words.

"He might deserve it." He said as he looked her in the eye. At first she thought he was joking, but the look on his face said otherwise. His hands were clenched into tight fists and she could see the blood leaving his knuckles.

"You can't be serious," she said.

"I am," he said, "What he's doing, it isn't right."

"I hate to break this to you Porthos, but it isn't a crime, nor is it uncommon for a man to beat his wife." She said as straightforward as she could.

"It doesn't mean it's right." He said as he looked away, obviously frustrated with the whole situation. "Is this what you have been keeping from him?"

She hesitated, not wanting to lie again. "Yes." She said as she looked to her hands. She looked back at him when she heard a low sound come from his chest. He was studying her again and it made her antsy.

"Please don't do that." She said.

"Do what?"

"Stare at me like that. It makes me feel uncomfortable." She said as she grabbed a piece of bread and popped it into her mouth. It felt dry in her throat, like she was trying to swallow sand. She took a sip of her wine, immediately feeling better. She desperately needed to talk about something else.

"What are we going to do today?" She said, taking another sip of wine. His chest raised in a huff like he was laughing at her and shook his head at her obvious change of subject. It felt like he could read her like a book. She frowned at him and he put his hands up in mock defeat.

"Well, I'll make my way to the orphanage. Athos asked me to look around for anything that might be suspicious or out of place. Plus, it couldn't hurt to talk to the owner to see if he's hiding anything." He said.

"Great! When are we leaving?" She couldn't wait to figure all of this out and be through with it all. But her joy was shortly lived when she heard him laughing at her.

"You aren't going anywhere, I'm going to the orphanage. You can stay in the room and read a book or something...whatever it is you do for fun." He laughed, waiving as if dismissing the idea, clearly amused at her suggestion.

"I don't see what's so funny? You were charged, by your captain mind you, to look after me at all times. How can you do that when you're on the other side of Paris and I'm stuck in your room?" she argued. She chose to ignore the butterflies that had started fluttering in her stomach at the sight of him laughing. Of course he would have an amazing smile.

"I'm not taking you with me to investigate a possible crime." He said as if it was obvious.

"Are you choosing to disobey orders? That doesn't seem like something a good soldier would do." She said. He looked at her with absolute frustration. She took another sip of wine to hide her smile, she could tell she was starting to win this battle.

"And what am I going to do with you, hm? Let you wait outside on the street while I search for evidence? The orphanage is at the center of the city which is dangerous for a man, let alone a woman. Besides, you definitely wouldn't be safe on your own looking like that." He said as he moved his hand up and down, gesturing to her appearance.

"What is that supposed to mean?" she said, obviously offended.

"It means that if a beautiful woman goes walking into that neighborhood, then she'd better be confident in her abilities to use a sword and a gun. And I hate to break this to you, sweetheart, but something tells me you aren't familiar with either." He said with a condescending tone.

"Well, wasn't patronizing at all." She said sarcastically.

He sighed and rubbed the back of his neck.

"Listen, I'm not trying to patronize you, I just don't want to put you in any unnecessary danger." He said as if that explained everything.

"I'm not suggesting that I go with you to only stand outside waiting around like an idiot," she took a breath to calm herself, "I'm suggesting you use me as a way to get into the orphanage without looking suspicious."

"And how would we do that?" he said.

"Well isn't it obvious?" she said with a smile, "We go there under the guise of a husband and wife looking to adopt a child. That would give you access to the building and the manager of the orphanage. And if we could somehow make you look wealthy and high-born…" she said as he frowned at her, "then he would be more than willing to speak to you, with the hopes of you making a generous donation of course."

He was silent for a moment, brow furrowed, glaring, as if he was trying to intimidate her. She wouldn't fold.

He sighed in defeat. "Christ, woman! You are maddening." He said as she smiled in victory. "Well, come on." He said as he stood from his chair, throwing some coins on the table.

"Are we going now?" she said, rushing to follow him as he wove through the tables.

"Of course not. Do you honestly think you could pass for a noblewoman looking like that?" she glared at him as he opened the door for her, "We're going to see a friend of mine. She should be able to lend us something to make us look more the part."

She smiled as the excitement started to bubble her. The last few years of her life had obviously left her wanting. When her husband wasn't home she was bored out of her mind, but when he was home, she walked on eggshells, constantly afraid of saying or doing something to anger him. It was time she had some fun.

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><p>Sophie was right, he knew she was, but it didn't mean he had to like the idea. Why did she have to be so damn stubborn? He looked at her out of the corner of his eye as they walked towards Constance's house. She was obviously thrilled with the idea of tagging along with him and it just made him more conflicted. She had already been through a lot and he didn't want to add one more thing to her list of bad experiences. On the other hand, she was a grown woman and she could make her own choices in life. If she wanted to put herself in danger, then who was he to stop her. It's not as if she was his woman and he actually had a say in what she did or didn't do. Even if she was, he didn't think she seemed like the kind of woman who would just do what she was told, unless of course she was beaten into submission.<p>

His hands tightened into fists on their own accord as he thought about what had happened to her. He hated the idea of any woman being treated poorly, but for some reason, the thought of Sophie being hurt put him on edge. He swore that if he ever came face to face with her husband he would make him feel what she felt.

"So tell me about your friend." she said pulling him from his thoughts.

"Constance?" he took a deep breath and relaxed his fists. Constance he could talk about. "Constance is the landlord of a friend of ours, d'Artagnan. He's away visiting his family's farm, but he should be back in a day or two so you can meet him then. "

She nodded and looked down at her feet. "Have you known Constance long?" she said with curiosity. He looked down at her and she wouldn't meet his eyes.

"About a year or so. She's a wonderful woman, kind, brave, beautiful, and always willing to help a friend." he said.

"Oh." she said, biting her lip and fiddling with her hands.

He noticed that she did that a lot. He wished that she'd stop, every time she bit her lip he remembered the way her lips moved on his, her moan. He shook his head to rid himself of the memories.

"And are you two close?" she said, still not meeting his eyes.

He smiled when he recognized this line of interrogation. Flea used to ask him the same questions when he would talk about another woman. This was going to be fun, he rather liked her jealously.

"I'd say so." he said, smirking. "Athos and Aramis as well, but I'd say d'Artagnan is particularly fortunate since he lives with her."

"Oh! You are all...intimate friends with her?" she said with a shocked expression.

He nodded eagerly, "Once you spend time with Constance..." he started with a suggestive tone to his voice. He was gaining too much enjoyment watching her squirm. "And I hear from Aramis that she's not too bad with a sword, if you know what I mean."

She stopped suddenly and he turned around to face her. Her cheeks were a delightful shade of red and her mouth hung open in shock.

"Is there a problem, Madame?" he said, trying not to laugh. She slowly closed her mouth as she squinted her eyes, suspicious.

"You're teasing me."

He smiled and was about to laugh when a hand came out of nowhere and smacked his shoulder.

"Hey!" he said. It didn't hurt but it came as a shock.

"That was so..." she said with a pause before doubling over in laughter. It was his turn to stare at her in shock. He had expected her to launch into a tirade about how unkind it was to make a joke at her expense, but instead she was near tears, doubled over in laughter. He looked around and noticed people staring as they walked past. He sent them all a glare to let them know their attention wasn't wanted. She gasped for breath, putting a hand to her waist and using the other to wipe the tears from her face.

"Are you alright?" he said, making sure she hadn't lost her mind completely.

"I'm sorry, please forgive me," she said as a stray laugh escaped her, "I don't know what came over me. I just...I haven't laughed like that in a very long time."

He smiled at her, her cheeks flushed with joy, her eyes bright and smile wide. He liked seeing her like this.

"Thank you." she said with absolute sincerity.

He nodded at her once as he offered his arm for her to take. She placed a hand on the crook of his arm and smiled at him. All of the sudden, he felt like a boy again as he felt his stomach twist in a strange mix of nervousness and pleasure. The feeling made him anxious, he was normally very confident around women and always knew what to say, what to do, but this...this was different. He didn't like that he was second guessing his actions.

They reached the house of Madame Bonacieux shortly after, mostly in silence except for a question or two from Sophie regarding the area. As he raised his hand to knock on the door, Porthos looked down at Sophie with a mischievous twinkle in his eye.

"Are you ready?"

"Ready for what?" she replied with apprehension.

Porthos grinned as he knocked on the door. He heard the gentle but purposeful footsteps that, without a doubt, belonged to Constance. The woman opened the door and the kind smile that was there originally, ready to welcome any who came to her home, dropped from her face as soon as she saw him.

"Oh no. What kind of trouble have you gotten into now?" said Constance with a frown. She had obviously been cleaning, her perfectly coiffed hair was a little more disheveled than usual and smudges of dirt covered the apron she wore to protect her modest, but well-made skirt.

"Why is it you always think I've caused some type of trouble?" said Porthos with a teasing smile.

"You're a musketeer. Isn't that part of your job description?" She said as she looked to Sophie with a small smile. "And who might you be?"

"Constance Bonacieux, may I introduce Sophie Dubois, Aramis' cousin," said Porthos.

"Cousin? How lovely. Please come in and make yourself at home." She said as she took Sophie's arm to lead her inside.

Porthos followed behind, chuckling when he heard Constance give Sophie her condolences for being left in his care. They walked into the center of the home which housed the kitchen and the hearth along with a large table situated right in front of it. Constance walked immediately over to the kitchen, after sitting Sophie down at the table, to prepare some tea.

"So," said Constance, not bothering to look behind her, focused on her task, "I'll ask again. What kind of trouble are you in?" She took the tray with the tea she'd made and walked to the table, setting it down gently.

Porthos took a deep breath and told her about Sophie and her discoveries about her husband, leaving out the bit regarding his violent habits. He didn't feel as if it was his place to tell anyone so he kept that part out of the story. If Sophie felt Constance needed to know, she would tell her.

"You poor thing," said Constance with a small frown as she covered Sophie's hands with her own, "What an awful circumstance to find yourself in. Well, whatever help you need from me is yours."

"That's very kind of you," said Sophie. She opened her mouth to speak, but changed her mind at the last second, looking to Porthos for help.

"Well, spit it out then. I don't have all day." Said Constance looking between Porthos and Sophie.

"We were hoping you could lend us some clothes that could make us look like we have money." Said Porthos.

"You do realize my husband is a cloth merchant, not a tailor." She said with a confused look on her face.

"Yes, but I also know that you are excellent with a needle and occasionally take in clothes for mending. And, well, I was hoping you had something you could let us borrow…just for a few hours." He said with a wink and a smile. He knew he wasn't d'Artagnan or Aramis, but he still considered himself somewhat charming.

Constance rolled her eyes, stood up, and scrunched her nose up at him. "It just so happens, I might have something that will work. But if you think I'll be letting you wear them as filthy as you are, you are sadly mistaken."

He sent Constance an offended look as he lifted his arm to see if he smelled. He didn't think he was that dirty. Yes, it had been a week or two since his last bath, but that wasn't something unusual. Most of the men at the garrison went months between bathing.

"I'm sure you are more than clean enough," she said to Sophie, "I'll just go get him set up and I'll be right back out."

"Actually," started Sophie, "I haven't had a bath since I arrived and I would very much like to wash the dust off from the journey if it isn't too much trouble."

The look Constance sent his way made him cower slightly.

"You didn't even offer her a bath? Did you at least give her the bed or did you make her sleep on the floor?" chastised Constance.

"Of course I gave her the bed, give me some credit." He said, slightly offended that she would think him so ungallant.

"Follow me Sophie, we'll get you set up with a proper bath." She said with a glare sent his way.

Porthos waited for them at the table rethinking his whole strategy. He had half hoped that Constance would be against the idea of bringing Sophie with him to the orphanage. Unfortunately, he didn't realize how similar the two women were. The more he thought about it, it sounded like less and less of a good idea. Suddenly, a wave of stress hit him and he rubbed the worry from his face. This was going to be bad.


	6. Chapter 6

**Happy Tuesday everyone! Can we just take a second to talk about last weeks episode?! Holy cow! ******Spoiler alert for anyone who hasn't seen the latest episode.** ****My heart is breaking for Constance and d'Artagnan! Seriously. How awful! **

**Also, side note. This story may become a little AU mainly because we are only on episode 8 here in the states so I haven't seen the whole season yet. Therefore, in this story, Constance and d'Artagnan get back together. I don't know if that happens or not in the series, but here it does. d'Artagnan lovers, he doesn't make an apperance in this chapter but he does later! Promise!**

**Enjoy!**

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><p>Sophie followed Constance into a small room down the hall and when she entered she gasped, she had never seen anything more wonderful in all her life. There was a wooden tub in the center of the room, a small mirror on the wall opposite of the door and a rack next to the tub which held a drying cloth. Next to the fireplace, there were even a few shelves that held different soaps, bath oils, and dried herbs. Even though she was more financially fortunate than Constance, Henri had thought the ritual of bathing to be unnecessary, indulgent, and unhygienic, therefore, he never allowed her to spend money on such things. He, like most people, believed that water could carry disease into the body through the pores in the skin. In her opinion, it was a silly notion. Come to think of it, Sophie couldn't remember the last time he bathed. It must have been on their wedding day, the first and only time he smelled pleasant. She walked over to the shelves and pulled off a jar of lavender, inhaled deeply, and sighed. She loved lavender.<p>

"This is wonderful!" Sophie said, taking another whiff of the herbs.

"I'm glad you think so, not many do. I don't tend to invest in such frivolous things, but this has always made me feel...well, pretty." said Constance with a smile. "I'll go have Porthos fill up a few buckets of water from the well and place it over the fire. Feel free to pick some herbs and we'll add them to the water."

"Thank you." Sophie walked over to the shelves and inspected various herbs and oils. After a few moments she heard Porthos enter with the water.

"You look like you're enjoying yourself." Porthos tipped the bucket, emptying it into the cast-iron pot that was over the fire.

"I am actually. I'll be nice to be clean again." She decided to go with her original impulse and walked over to add the lavender to the water.

"Women." He said with a shake of his head as he walked back out the door. Sophie sent a glare at his back. Maybe if he took a bath more often he wouldn't be so dirty. Although, she had to admit, he didn't actually smell bad, more musky than anything.

Constance walked in followed by Porthos each holding a bucket of water. She put her bucket next to the bath and looked to Porthos. "Go ahead and empty these into the bath. Then you can add the hot water as well."

"Yes Madame." He said with a sarcastic tilt to his voice.

"I'm sure you can complete the task without any additional sass." She said as she walked over to Sophie. "Have a seat on the stool and I'll pull your hair up so it won't get wet."

Sophie dutifully did as she was told as she watched Porthos empty the water into the tub.

"If you don't need anything else, I'll go wait in the kitchen." He said as he walked out of the door.

"There's some wine in the cupboard, help yourself." Constance said as she started to pin Sophie's hair on top of her head.

Porthos smiled as he walked out the door. Sophie loved watching them interact. They bickered, but she could tell they cared about each other. He pretended to be bothered by Constance's' mothering, but she could tell he secretly liked it.

"Done. Now, stand up and I'll help you out of your corset." Said Constance.

Sophie stood and looked over her shoulder. Constance wasted no time as she started to pull out the strings that held her corset together in the back. "Um. You don't have to, I can manage." Sophie turned around to face Constance, trying to hide her back, unsure if her bruises had completely healed.

Constance put her hands on her hips and looked at her as if she was being ridiculous. "Don't be silly. I'm sure you have ladies to help you undress at home," she grabbed Sophie about the shoulders and spun her back around, "Now, let's get you in the tub."

Sophie bit her lip and let her continue. As kind and helpful as Constance seemed, she could tell by the way she dealt with Porthos that she was also stubborn and she didn't want to fight with her. They had only just met and she was secretly hoping for another woman to talk to. Constance was realistic and she seemed like someone who didn't walk around with ridiculous romantic notions in her head. Sophie could use some straight talking right about now.

Constance finished unlacing her corset and placed it on a small stool next to the tub. She then untied her skirt and added that to the pile. Her hands went to the bottom of Sophie's chemise when she paused briefly, deciding to collect the corset and the skirt before walking towards the door.

"I'll let you continue in private." She said as she turned back to look at Sophie. Her eyebrows knitted together as she glanced at Sophie's chest. Sophie looked down to see what had caused Constance's confusion and her face paled when she saw the stains from where her milk had leaked from her breasts. She was an idiot. How had she not noticed? She hadn't leaked in days, it must have been the stress from the journey. Panic ran through her as she quickly walked to Constance taking her hands.

"Please don't say anything. I haven't told Aramis yet." Sophie begged.

"Where's the child? Did you leave it with a wet nurse?" said Constance with concern lacing her voice.

Sophie turned her eyes back to their joined hands. Agony hit her as she bit her tongue trying to stop the tears that were gathering in her eyes but couldn't stop the strangled sob the escaped her throat. Constance seemed to understand as she put a hand on her arm and led her back to the stool, pushing her down gently as if asking her to sit.

"How far along were you when you lost the baby?" Constance rubbed her arm trying to comfort her.

"Eight months." Said Sophie, wiping the tears that had ran down her cheeks.

"Almost full term then. How did it happen?"

"My husband." Sophie spat out the words with such venom, Constance physically pulled back. Sophie looked at her and saw the confusion on her face. She had kept her grief to herself for so long that the pull to tell Constance was too strong to ignore. A part of her had refused to speak of it because she felt that if she actually said the words, then she would be acknowledging that it had actually happened. That she had lost the only good thing in her life at the hands of the man who was supposed to have loved her. Constance was a good woman and if she had to tell someone, she was glad it was her.

She pulled the bottom of her chemise up over her hip to show Constance her ribs and back. She heard Constance gasp as she reached to brush her fingers over the bruises.

"Did he do this to you?" Constance said, her voice a strange mixture of awe and anger.

Sophie nodded. "For years he found great joy in beating me on a regular basis, but when I became pregnant he stopped. I don't think he was necessarily happy about having a child, unless of course it turned out to be a boy, but I think that I made him feel uncomfortable. It was as if he tried everything to stay away from me. I didn't mind really, I went for months without a bruise and it was the best time of my life as a married woman. I won't lie though, at first I was disgusted with the pregnancy. Henri is such an awful man and I was sickened at the thought of carrying a piece of him inside me." Sophie took a shaky breath as her lips formed a small smile and continued. "But then, I felt him kick. It was as if the world stopped. I suddenly realized that this child was also going to be a part of me and maybe, just maybe, if I loved him with everything I had then it would be enough.

"One day I was coming back from a walk around the gardens when I walked up the stairs and heard a crash coming from Henri's rooms. I went into the room thinking he had left a window open and the breeze had pushed something off of the table, but that isn't what I discovered. He was in his bed with another woman. She left the bed as soon as she saw me screaming at Henri, demanding to know who this pregnant woman was. I told her I was his wife. To her credit, she was obviously shocked and left immediately. I didn't realize how much I had angered him until I saw him pick up his belt and walk slowly towards me. I backed up out of the room and stopped when I hit the railing to the stairs. I begged him not to hurt me. What about the baby? What if he did something to hurt it? He screamed at me, enraged, accusing me of taking every ounce of happiness from him. He said that if he couldn't be happy then I couldn't be happy."

Sophie looked to Constance and saw the tears in her eyes, her hands covering her mouth. "The next thing I remember is laying in my bed. One of the servants had sent for a doctor and he was getting ready to leave when he saw me wake up. He apologized. He said there was nothing he could do, but did I want to hold the baby before they buried him? One of the servants handed me this bundle of clothes and inside was the most beautiful baby boy. I had never felt such heartbreak and anguish before. Not when my mother died when I was a child and not even when my father had died 5 years ago." Sophie wiped the tears from her eyes turned back to Constance, "I heard from the servants that he had pushed me down the stairs. I'll never forgive him for what he did. Never."

"Why haven't you told Aramis? He's your family, he would protect you." Constance said.

"I know he would. But I also know he would lose sight of what we are supposed to be doing. Helping those children. Besides, I don't want him to kill Henri. Death is too good for him." She said as she stood up walked towards the fire. She felt like a weight had been lifted off her chest and she could breathe again. "Please don't tell anyone. I don't want them to pity me…to look at me and only see sadness."

"Of course." Said Constance. "Why don't I let you finish up your bath? Just leave your clothes outside the door and I'll wash them for you so you'll have something clean when you get back."

Sophie walked over to Constance and put her arms around her, hugging her tight. "You are a good woman. Thank you for everything."

"Don't be absurd, I'm only doing what anyone else would do. You let me know if you need anything." Constance walked out the door and Sophie was left on her own.

She pulled off the rest of her clothes, set them outside the door, and sank into the warm, sweetly scented water. For a split second, Sophie regretted telling her. She didn't want Constance to treat her like she was fragile, but she couldn't take it back now. What was done is done. All she could do was live in the moment and hope that she didn't just make her future more complicated.

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><p>Porthos waited at the table for what felt like hours. Eventually, he saw Constance emerge from the room. She wiped her face as if she'd been crying and smoothed her hands over her hair to right herself. She walked into the room and Porthos could see her eyes were bloodshot from crying and her hands, normally steady, were shaking slightly.<p>

"What's wrong?" he said.

"Nothing's wrong. What would give you the idea that anything is wrong?"

"I know I may not be as smart as your d'Artagnan, but I'm not an idiot. I can see something is bothering you. What happened?" he watched her as she put Sophie's clothes on the table to sort them,  
>"Did she tell you about her husband?"<p>

Constance looked up at him in shock. "Her husband? What about her husband? I thought I was the first person she told."

"Well, I hate to break it to you, but she told me over breakfast. I'm not shocked though, it happens more often that I'd like to believe."

"Often? I've never met anyone who's gone through such a tragedy at the hands of her husband before. Usually it's a natural occurrence, but I've never seen it end like this before." She said as she gave him a look as if he was crazy. He just stared at her.

"A natural occurrence? What are you talking about? I assure you a husband abusing his wife is not a natural occurrence." He said, emphasizing the word natural, shocked that she would even think that. This was Constance. If any man had ever laid a hand on her, he was sure she wouldn't take it lightly.

A look of understanding came across Constance's face. "Ooh. You're talking about the beatings."

"Of course that's what I'm talking about. What are you talking about?" he said standing up from his chair.

"I'm talking about the same thing you are of course. How much of that wine have you had to drink? Maybe now is a good time to stop." She said as she took the washing and walked out the door.

"I've only had one glass!" he shouted at her.

He stared at his cup in confusion. What had she been talking about? There must have been more that she wasn't telling him. He didn't like all of these secrets that were now swimming around. He sat back down into his chair and waited for Sophie to finish. After a few minutes, Constance went back into the room with a fresh set of clothes. Eventually, Sophie walked out and he had to take a moment to gather himself. She was beautiful. She wore a blue gown that enhanced her figure and brought out the blue in her eyes. Now that the dirt was washed off of her, he could see the freckles that covered her face, neck, chest, and even her arms. It was adorable. They made her look young and free as if she spent her years as a child outdoors. Constance had twisted her hair away from her face. He could now see the smooth skin of her neck followed by her bare shoulder. Desire coursed threw him as he wondered what it would feel like to bury his head in the crook of her neck with her naked body against him. His gaze slowly tracked back to her face as he met her eyes with his own. He wanted her, and if the look she gave him was any clue, she wanted him as well. She didn't shy away him as they stared at each other, neither wanting to be the first one to break contact.

Constance cleared her throat and he looked away, forgetting that they weren't alone. When he looked back, Sophie's face was red with embarrassment.

He stood up and walked towards them stopping in front of Sophie. His voice was low and husky when he spoke, and he could swear he saw her shiver. "You look incredible."

Her eyes snapped back to him. "Thank you." She said as a small smile formed on her full lips.

"You may now use the bath." Said Constance with a wave of her hand through the door.

He nodded his head and walked into the room. Quickly, he shed his clothing and sunk into the water that was now barely warm. The door swung open as Constance strutted in.

"Are you mad woman?" He said as he went to cover up his manhood.

"Oh you be quiet. It's not as if I've never seen a naked man before. I'm just grabbing your clothes." she said as she walked around the room collecting his things.

She started to leave when she turned back around. "She's been through a lot you know. Don't start something that you can't finish."

"You really have gone mad, haven't you?" he said with a teasing smile.

"I'm serious. Don't pretend like you don't know what I'm talking about. I saw the way you looked at her. Just, try not to hurt her." She said with the motherly look that he knew all too well.

"I don't want to hurt her. I want to protect her." He said with absolute seriousness.

Constance laughed lightly. "I'm sure that's all you want to do with her."

His eyebrows shot up into his hairline as he laughed. She shocked the hell out of him sometimes.  
>She let him be as he relaxed back into the water for just a second. They had to get going if they wanted to be back by nightfall. He washed quickly and through on the clothes Constance had left for him. He looked at himself in the mirror and smiled in appreciation. He didn't look too bad all gussied up in fancy clothes.<p>

He walked out of the room and put on his belt that held his sword and pistol. "Are you ready to go?" he said as he looked up at the two woman at the table. Both of them were staring at him like he had two heads.

"What?" he said.

Sophie glanced at Constance with a quick grin and stood from the table. "Nothing." she grabbed her purse that she had on the table and tied it to a little loop that was sewn into the folds of her skirt. "Let's go."

He looked back at Constance with suspicion before putting his hat on and walking out the door grumbling. "Women."

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><p><strong>Oh Porthos. Women are such strange creatures. ;-)<strong>


	7. Chapter 7

**Hello my friends! Sorry it's taken me so long to update. Work was crazy, then I went on vacation with my inlaws and then work was crazy again from me being on vacation, and to top it all off, one of my sisters is getting married this weekend. So needless to say, I've been busy. BUT here is a new chapter for you! I hope you love it!**

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><p>"There's the orphanage." Said Porthos as he pointed to a big building down the street. The orphanage was housed in an old stone building that was probably over 100 years old. It had big columns on either side of the front door. Had it been well taken care of and not in complete despair, it would have been a house for a count, not an orphanage.<p>

They had stopped by the regiment for something to eat, to discuss their plan and to recruit the help of another musketeer. They wanted to have someone nearby in case they needed help and Stefan was the perfect candidate. He was young and had just received his commission so he was eager to prove his worth. They decided to pose as a married couple who were having a hard time having a child and without any other living family, they would need a child to carry on their lineage. This would mean that they would need a specific child, an infant boy of mixed race, so his authenticity would not be questioned. The likelihood of them having such a child was rare so they felt confident that the orphanage would have to reach out to Henri. If they could catch them in the act, conviction wouldn't be a problem.

Sophie turned her gaze back to Porthos. She couldn't keep her eyes off of him. After spending a full day with him, she could only ever picture him looking like a soldier. Seeing him dressed up like a nobleman was incredibly strange. Yes, it was true, his normal everyday soldier attire was a little over the top, but he obviously looked more comfortable wearing leather. The velvet and brocade looked a little out of place and while he looked very handsome, he didn't quite look like himself. In fact, he looked so uncomfortable it was almost as if he was afraid to move

"You need to relax. No one will believe that you're a noble if you keep fiddling like that." She said.

"How am I supposed to relax, huh? I feel like a horse's ass all gussied up like this. I can barely breathe. How do people wear this type of thing on a daily basis?" He pulled at the velvet jacket, fidgeting with the buttons.

She laughed under her breath and turned towards him, stopping him from moving forward. She took his hands away from the tunic and held them in between her two smaller ones. "I know you might feel uneasy, but I think you look incredibly handsome." She smiled up at him, trying to make him feel a little bit more comfortable.

He smiled and then locked his deep brown eyes on hers, his expression suddenly becoming very serious. Her heart felt as if it were in her throat. He angled his head down towards her as she held her breath. Did she turn away or did she stay and let him kiss her? Deep down, she knew what she wanted. She felt frozen in place as she closed her eyes, waiting for his luscious lips to connect with hers when she felt his breath on her ear, sending shivers down her spine.

"So…you think I'm handsome, do you?" He whispered.

She pushed him away with a groan. "Honestly." She turned around and marched on in the direction of the orphanage.

"Actually, I think the phrase was 'incredibly handsome' wasn't it?" He asked as he followed behind her.

"Is that all you took from what I said? I was trying to make you feel more confident." She could feel the blush rise to her cheeks. She hated how he could make her feel so embarrassed.

"Don't try to deny it. You think I'm handsome." He said, pushing her past her limits.

She turned on him. "Alright. Yes. I think you're handsome. Are you satisfied?" He was impossible.

He nodded his head at her, eyes sparkling with jest, grinning, obviously thinking he had won some type of contest. "You know, you're adorable when you blush."

"Ugh!" She turned on her heel, incredibly frustrated, and continued walking away from him. Her arms were like metal rods at her side and her knuckles were white from her hands being clinched into fists.

"Oh come on! I was just trying to pay you a compliment." He said with a laugh.

She ignored him and kept walking until she felt a hand take her upper arm, stopping her in her tracks.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to tease." He said as she sent a glare his way letting him know she didn't believe him. "Alright, I did mean to but only because I meant what I said. You are adorable when you blush and, well...I…" He paused for a moment as if he were unsure of his next sentence. "I like that I can do that to you."

"You like that you can make me embarrassed? Sorry to disappoint you but you aren't the only person who can embarrass me." She said as her cheeks became increasingly redder. She wasn't an idiot. She knew what he meant but she was giving him a chance to rethink what he was saying. It wasn't appropriate and, truth be told, she wasn't sure if she could take much more of this. He was so incredibly handsome and charming and her willpower only went so far.

His voice lowered to almost a whisper and his face was only a few inches away from hers as his eyes darkened. "If I'm honest, I suppose its isn't that I can make you embarrassed that I like so much, it's the blushing. It makes me think of other ways I could make you blush."

He focused his gaze on her and Sophie could feel that same heat she'd felt in her belly this morning come back with a vengeance. The way he stared at her made her lower muscles clench in anticipation. She felt lightheaded and knew right away that this is what lust must feel like. She wasn't a virgin, obviously, but she had never known romance or love. She'd never known what it felt like to desire someone and she desired Porthos with a need that was absolute. That she knew for certain.

"We should keep going." His voice was husky, like he couldn't get enough air into his lungs. He cleared his throat, took a deep breath, and took a step back, effectively putting some distance between them.

"Right." She briefly closed her eyes to try and gain some composure.

He held his arm out in an exaggerated gallant gesture and she shook her head with a laugh as she hooked her arm in his. The warmth of his arm burned through his sleeve as it pressed against hers and she could feel the muscles in his forearm pull as he took hold of her hand, pulling it to his chest, over his heart. It was such a sweet and intimate gesture that she was immobilized in shock.

"We're supposed to be husband and wife right? Isn't this what two people in love do?" Porthos asked. He must have seen the confused look on her face.

Her eyebrows furrowed as she looked away from him. "I…I wouldn't know."

There was a pause as if he was unsure of what to say before she felt her hand being lifted. She watched him pull her hand up to his lips as he lightly kissed her knuckles. She felt her heart flutter in her chest as she watched him. He gave her a gentle smile and she couldn't help but smile back.

"Let's get a move on, yeah?" He said gently.

She nodded her head and looked away from him as she felt tears enter her eyes. She'd never known such tenderness and it made her heart break to know that this was what she was missing out on. She had lived her years with Henri in ignorance thinking that love was a luxury that she was never to have, but Porthos made her think of what could be and it just made her feel worse. After this, after she brought her husband's foul deeds to light and he was sent to prison, who was going to want her? She'd still be married in the eyes of the law and the church. She would live the life of a lonely widow but without the possibility of being able to find love and remarry. Before, the idea of just living alone without fear was more than enough to make her happy, but now that she knew what she could have, she wasn't so sure anymore.

They walked up the steps of the orphanage and as Porthos raised his hand to knock, the door opened. A rather robust woman stood in the doorway, one hand was on the door while she leaned slightly on the door frame in an almost sultry way. She smiled and Sophie almost cringed at the sight of her rotten teeth.

"Good day Monsieur, Madame. Welcome to the Berceau de l'Espoir. Please come in." She said as she moved out of the way.

Sophie followed Porthos through the entryway and took the opportunity to look around while the woman closed the door. There were children everywhere. There must have been at least twenty just in what one might call a living room. She had imagined what the orphanage would look like but this wasn't what she had pictured. She assumed that the rooms would be bare, with only the necessities displayed. This was different. There were paintings and tapestries covering the walls. It made her sick seeing all of this waste while she knew most children went hungry most nights because the orphanages didn't have enough money to feed them all. As they entered the room, the children all stopped what they were doing to watch them. She suddenly felt guilty, all dressed up in these fine clothes while these children had nothing. She felt Porthos' grip tighten on her arm as if he were thinking the exact same thing. She gave him a reassuring smile. Hopefully, what they were trying to do would help them.

The foul teethed woman clapped her hands together shooing the children out of the room before holding out her hand to Porthos. "I'm Madame Clement. My husband runs this establishment."

Porthos took her hand and bowed his head. "Porthos du Vallon and this is my wife, Sophie."

Sophie looked at him out of the corner of her eye, shocked that he used their real names. She would have to have a word with him later, it was risky to give them too much information.

"Charmed." Said Madam Clement, her eyes practically glittering with the prospect of money coming into her home as she gestured to a pink sofa against the wall. "Please, have a seat. How can I help you?"

Porthos sat down next to Sophie on the sofa. He took her left hand in his right and laced his fingers through hers. She knew they were acting and it was a gesture to support their role as actors, nothing more, but she couldn't help the butterflies that entered her stomach.

"My wife and I are looking to adopt a child. We have tried for many years to have one of our own..." he looked at Sophie and she turned her eyes down, acting her part. "...but unfortunately, have been unable to conceive."

Madame Clement nodded her head in sympathetic understanding in a way that made Sophie think this was something she rehearsed in the mirror, keeping her brow furrowed and lips just lightly pursed, her eyes full of concern. "Ah. I understand. It is an unfortunate situation that affect a lot more couples than you would think. Have you been thinking about adoption long?"

"We had been hoping..." Sophie put a sad and longing look on her face.

"We've visited a few other orphanages, but we want a specific child. A boy, infant in age that would resemble us in appearance...and, well, they haven't had any." He said as he gestured to himself and Sophie. He was following their plan to the letter. The likelihood of them having an infant who was mixed race was slim. They usually didn't take them in because they didn't get adopted easily and it was an expense that most orphanages can't afford to take on.

The older woman continued to nod her head as her eyes widened in understanding. "I see. If you don't mind, I'll go speak to my husband and see if we have any children who fit your needs." Madame Clement said with a smile. She stood up and walked out of the room.

Sophie pulled her hands from his and put her face in her hands. "I feel sick. She's talking like these poor innocent children are items on a shelf."

He put a hand on her knee in an effort to comfort her. Standing up, he looked around the room. "I'm going to go take a look around. You stay here and keep a look out."

She nodded, closed her eyes, and took a deep breath to steady herself. When she reopened her eyes she was refocused. He left the room after giving her the briefest of smiles. She hoped he found something useful, she didn't want to stay here any longer than was necessary. She heard a creak from a floor board that had come from the direction of Madame Clement and turned her head sharply to see if she was returning. Instead, what she found put a smile on her face. A little boy, about three years old watched her from the just outside the doorway.

"Hello." Sophie said, "Why are you hiding?"

A little brown haired boy stuck his head further into the room, his cheeks flushed with embarrassment for being caught.

"Come on out. You don't have to hide from me." She said with a kind smile trying to give the boy a little comfort. The way he hesitantly moved about made her think he was in trouble often. "I'm Sophie. What's your name?"

He walked a little further into the room and looked at her with a childlike curiosity that most adults would consider rude. She thought it was adorable. It looked as if he was hiding something behind his back.

"Edmund." His voice was so quite she barely heard him.

"It's nice to meet you Edmund. What's that you have behind your back?" She said as she watched his eyes light up with excitement. All of the sudden the shy little boy turned into a little bundle of energy.

"It's a swor-red!" The little one said with absolute happiness, as if the sword were the greatest thing in the world. She sat on the ground to get a better look at it.

"So it is! Do you know how to use it?" Sophie's eyes sparkled with unabashed joy as the child nodded his head and swung the sword around with enthusiasm. She laughed and ducked her head to escape the possible bruises she'd most likely get if he accidentally walloped her.

As he played with the sword her mind began to wonder. Was this what she would have been like with her own child? Would she have been more strict or perhaps less serious? Would she have made him go outside to play or would she have felt as if a child's joy was more important than a potentially shattered vase. She could feel her throat tighten as she thought of what could have been. Of what her own child would have been like. The last few days had been so emotional and she felt as if any moment would be the time when she lost complete control and broke down completely. She swallowed the lump in her throat and took a shaky breath. She would be glad when all of this was over.

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><p>Porthos traveled from room to room looking searching for any possible evidence. Unfortunately, he didn't find anything worth keeping. He quietly walked back to where Sophie was waiting for him. The more time he spent with her the more he learned about her. She was stubborn, intelligent, frustrating, beautiful, kind, annoying and secretive. The last one was the part he had a problem with. He wished she wouldn't keep so much to herself. He learned a lot about himself as well. As confident a man as he was, he felt like a teenager again around her, unsure as to what his next move would be and trying to understand her reactions to him. Another thing he realized was just how responsive he was to her touch. Every time he touched her he couldn't deny how right it felt, regardless of the fact that she was married and his best friend's cousin. The enormity of what he felt frightened him a little. After all he'd only known her for 24 hours. He heard a laugh coming from ahead of him. He continued into the room where he left Sophie and found her in the company of a small boy. He held a small wooden sword and was swinging it around fearlessly. But it was Sophie who caught his attention. She looked at the boy with what he could only describe as longing. It was as if she was looking at something she would never have.<p>

"What's this?" Said Porthos from behind her. "Is the fair maiden in distress?"

The boy giggled and held out his sword in a defensive stance. "En garde!"

Porthos looked around for anything to use as a mock sword and found a walking cane next to a chair. He laughed in earnest and attacked the child with exaggerated blows. Even though he knew he was intimidating (to children as well as adults) this boy seemed to look past his scars and size. Porthos couldn't remember the last time when he had played so innocently. The life of a musketeer was dangerous and was often taken very seriously. Lucky, his friendship with Aramis, Athos, and D'Artagnan meant that most nights ended in laughter instead of losing himself in the bottom of a glass of wine.

"Edmund!" Shrieked Madame Clement from the hall. "What on earth are you doing?" The unfortunate looking woman screeched as she stomped her way back into the room. Edmund ran from the room as fast as he could.

"Forgive me Madame. I asked young Edmund here to show me how to use his sword. I hope I didn't get him in to too much trouble." Sophie said with a charming smile. He had no doubt that if left to her own devises, Sophie could talk a man into jumping off a bridge if she wanted to.

"Of course not." Madame Clement said as she sent a glare in Porthos' direction, gesturing towards the sofa. She took a moment to gather herself so he took the opportunity to put the cane down with a smile and take his seat next to Sophie. He winked at her and she glared at him out of the corner of her eye. Apparently, both women were not pleased with him.

"Unfortunately," she said as she sat down in the chair across from them, "we do not currently have the type of child you are looking for. However, I do believe that there is a good chance we might have something that will meet your needs in three days' time." She said with a sly smile.

"Really? That's great!" He said as he grabbed Sophie's hand as a show of hopeful excitement. He tried to ignore that same nervousness in his stomach that he had felt earlier that day as he laced his fingers through hers.

She returned his smile before turning a confused look on Madame Clement. "I don't understand. How can you be so sure?"

"Just call it female intuition." She relaxed in her chair confidently.

"But..."

"Darling, this is a good thing." Porthos interrupted Sophie squeezing her hand lightly. He didn't want to sound suspicious by asking too many questions.

"Of course. Forgive me. This has just been such an exhausting journey and to think that we might be close to having a child of our own... well, it just seems too good to be true." Sophie said as Porthos put his arm around her in as a show of additional support.

"Understandable my dear. We are always trying our best to find excellent homes for all of our wonderful children here. Unfortunately, often times we are stunted in our efforts because of financial concerns, you understand?" Madame Clement said as he could practically see gold coins shine in her eyes.

"Of course. We would be glad to make a respectable donation to your orphanage to support these wonderful children." He said in a suggestive tone. This was what they were looking for. Some kind of expectation of additional payment for their efforts to secure a child.

"Lovely!" The older woman stood from her chair and he took that as their queue to leave. They surely had done enough to get them to their goal…hopefully. He stood and took Sophie by the elbow and walked her towards the door.

"Thank you so much for your help Madame. We look forward to seeing you again." He said in a rush. He couldn't help but want to leave as soon as he could. Being in the orphanage brought back unwanted memories and he couldn't help but feel dirty as he walked around in there pretending to work with her.

"Please come by in three days and, hopefully, we can be of more help then." She said as she smiled at the two of them and closed the door behind her.

They walked away and found Stefan laying low behind a fruit cart. It looked as if they had left just in time as the vendors who normally lined the streets were starting to pack up. They had been in there longer than he realized.

"Make sure you keep a close eye on them. I'll send someone to take your place around midnight. If you learn of anything, make sure you come tell me immediately. I'll be by your quarters tomorrow morning for a full report." He told Stefan as the boy had nodded eagerly.

"Good man." Porthos smacked him on the shoulder and left with Sophie in tow.

He looked down at Sophie. She was looking straight ahead, her mouth in a firm line and her face white as a ghost.

"Are you alright?" He said, worried she was going to faint.

"I'm fine. Just a little overwhelmed I guess." She said quietly. "Those poor children."

He watched as he saw her eyes glass over in tears. He knew she had been through a lot in the last few days and he could see her start to break. She needed a drink and to get her mind off of what was going on around her. Luckily for her, he knew just the person to take her to.

"I think we both need a drink. There's a tavern near here that I go to when I need a break from everything. What do you say?" He sent one of his most charming smiles that he kept in his arsenal for just such occasion. It worked.

She laughed and nodded her head in agreement. "I suppose I could use a drink."


	8. Chapter 8

**Surprise! A second chapter in one day! Consider this a gift for being absent for so long. This is the chapter we have all been waiting for. ;-) I'm sorry if the beginning seems a little rushed, but lets be real here, we all know what part of the story we're most excited about. I might go back and edit it to make the beginning seem a little more flow-y but maybe not. Either way, I hope you love it.**

**Also, this is slightly different than what you've been used to. Normally it's Sophie's point of view and then Porthos, but its switched this time. I wrote this chapter a long time ago and didn't want to change it too much.**

**Enjoy!**

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><p>They made their way to the tavern and walked inside. He wondered how she would handle it. This wasn't the same kind of tavern he had taken her to before. This place was obviously for a man of unsavory character, but he grew up near here and even though he was over-dressed at the moment, this was somewhere that he felt comfortable. He looked at Sophie out of the corner of his eye and saw her wide eyed at the sight in front of her. Men were falling over drunk even though it was just starting to get dark and women were dressed in gaudy clothes showing what noble women would call an unacceptable amount of cleavage.<p>

"Porthos! What in God's name are you wearing? Did you steal that?" He heard Jon yell at him from behind the bar.

"Would you be shocked if I did?" He laughed as he shook hands with Jon. John shifted his gaze to Sophie. Porthos would have to keep a close eye on her, most men in this bar would cut off their own arm to get into bed with a lady like her. Most of the women in the tavern were whores and they smelled as bad as they looked. They rarely saw a woman like Sophie walk into this tavern and it was sure to cause a commotion.

"Who is this lovely lady? Did you steal her too?" Jon said with a wink and Sophie laughed in response.

"Of course not. I get women with my good looks and charm alone." He urged Jon on. Porthos loved this type of banter. It was innocent and usually led to a good laugh.

"Ha!"

"Can I get two wines my friend?" Porthos said as Jon nodded his head. "Have you seen Helen around here?"

"She's in her usual spot." He gestured over to the corner where the old woman sat nursing her bottle of wine.

He grabbed their mugs and walked over to Helen, Sophie trailing behind him. He met her on his last birthday and ever since, he would come back once a week or so to check up on her. She was a widow and was pretty much a functioning drunk, but she was harmless. Even if she was beyond sauced, she always had a kind word for him and he always went to her when he had a problem. Oddly enough, this drunk old woman had become sort of a maternal figure to him. He silently wondered what that said about him.

"Helen." He said getting her attention. Her face lit up immediately. "How are you love?" He bent down to give her a kiss on the cheek.

"Oh you know, the same as I am every time you come by to see me. I haven't seen you in over a week and when I do you bring in another woman. Are you planning on replacing me?" Her words slurred as she winked at him and he laughed in response.

"I could never replace you." He said as he put the drinks down before pulling out a chair for Sophie. He had expected her to be turning her nose up at the place, including Helen, but she just looked at Helen with a kind smile. "Helen, this is Sophie, a friend."

"A friend you say? What a pity." Helen smiled "It's nice to meet you dear."

"Same to you." Replied Sophie.

"You two make a beautiful couple." Helen said as if it were a fact as he rolled his eyes. He wanted to bring Sophie to Helen as a distraction but this isn't exactly what he had in mind.

"We aren't a couple." Said Sophie sweetly, trying to explain it to her, "I'm married."

"Why does that matter? If you're in love, then you should be together." Helen took another drink of her wine which was followed by a hiccup.

"We're not in love Helen. I only met her yesterday." Porthos chuckled under his breath. She was playing the senile old lady bit, but he knew her to well to fall for it.

"Only yesterday? Then it must be love at first sight." She countered.

Sophie looked to Porthos and lowered her voice to a whisper. "Does she not understand us? Is something wrong?"

Porthos rolled his eyes and looked at Helen. She had a small smile on her face. Oh, she knew what she was doing all right.

"She might be drunk but she's not stupid. She knows what we're saying, she just refuses to let it go." He said loudly to make sure Helen heard him.

Helen laughed under her breath. "Are you afraid to get close to her because you lost your mother when you were a child and now you're afraid of the possibility of losing the love of another woman?"

Porthos glared at her and took a drink of his wine. He was just realizing how much of a mistake bringing Sophie here was. "Let's not get into that, yeah? I brought Sophie here because she's had a rough few days and could use some cheering up."

"Actually, I'm finding this conversation very interesting." Sophie said to him, her eyes twinkling in jest. It was almost as if she liked making him feel uncomfortable. She turned back to Helen. "You said he lost his mother as a child. That's awful."

"When he was five. Poor thing has taken care of himself his whole life." Helen was focused entirely on Sophie now, ignoring the looks that Porthos was sending her. This was his story to tell and she didn't have a right to tell it to someone who was practically a stranger.

"Alright. I think we should leave." Porthos took Sophie's arm and stood with her. "Helen it was lovely to see you again but we have somewhere to be."

"No we don't." Sophie argued. "Besides, we just got here and I'm enjoying my time with Helen."

Helen lifted her glass in a toast and drank from it greedily. He was going to have a talk with Helen about keeping things told in confidence a secret. He ignored Sophie's and Helens protests and started to pull Sophie in the direction of the door.

"It was lovely meeting you dear. Hopefully, he brings you back soon!" Helen said after them and he sent a glare back behind him. She laughed at his reaction and then turned her attention back to the glass in front of her.

As soon as he pulled Sophie out the door she pulled her arm from his grasp.

"Unhand me." She brushed her hair back from her face that had fallen down as he had pulled her through the crowd. "Was that absolutely necessary?

"What Helen was telling you in there was none of your business." He pointed his finger back towards the tavern. He was getting upset and he knew it. He focused on the ground and tries to calm himself. His past was his and he didn't want people to judge him for it.

"Lets go." He didn't look at her. A part of him was embarrassed for his actions. The rest of the walk to regiment was in silence. When they reached the door to his room he felt a small hand on his arm and he looked to the owner. Sophie was looking at him with absolute sincerity.

"I'm sorry. I know what it feels like to lose a mother. You don't have to tell me anything you don't want to."

His next actions surprised even him. Maybe it was the wine or maybe it was the days events that pushed him over the edge. Either way, the next thing he knew he was kissing her. He had grabbed Sophie by the back of the head with one hand and about the waist with the other and brought her to him with so much force he would worry later if he had hurt her. He expected her to pull away from him but she didn't. Her lips tasted like a combination sweet wine and honey. A taste that he was starting to realize was completely Sophie. Her hands went to his chest as she grabbed the fabric of his jacket pulling him to her as she moaned into his mouth. He ran his tongue along her lips begging for entrance. She parted her lips as he entered her mouth tasting every inch of her. The desire he felt for her intensified as the seconds went on. He knew that of he didn't stop now he was going to lose control of the situation.

He pulled back from her and took a shaky breath. Sophie's lips were red from being abused in such a manor and her hair had become more disheveled. She brought her hand to her chest to help her control her breathing but she never took his eyes off of his. What was he doing? He had more honor than this.

"I'm sorry. I..."

"Don't." Sophie interrupted him. "Please don't apologize." Her eyes were pleading with him. What she wanted he couldn't quite figure out.

"Why?" He asked, his breath still coming in gasps.

"You know why." She said.

"I want you to tell me." He needed to hear it so he could be sure he wasn't dreaming. She was silent for only a moment, by if felt like years to him.

"I want you." She reached out to him and he didn't waste a second.

He pulled her into his embrace and kissed her. She held on to him pushing every inch of her up against him. The feeling of her breasts pressed against his chest caused a strong reaction in his body. She was perfect. Her taste, her smell, how she felt against him. It was perfect. He began to imagine what it would feel like to have her naked against him. Her body withering beneath him as he filled her. He needed this. He needed to be inside her, to show her how a woman is supposed to be loved.

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><p>Something deep inside her let go. The walls that she'd built up after Henri's constant beatings and unfeeling sex were pulled down and any doubt she had was destroyed. Right now, in this moment, there was nothing but the two of them, and that was all her mind could process on the most basic of levels.<p>

Looking back on it, Sophie should have been mortified at her behavior, but as she practically pulled him through the door she felt nothing at all but satisfaction. And when she reached out for him, he desperately reached back, one hand cupping the side of her face as their lips crashed into one another's in a passionate kiss as he pushed her against the door closing it in the process. His mouth travelled down to her neck as he kissed her and ran his teeth along her tender skin. She started gasping for air when he his hands began to travel her body, grabbing her with obvious intention. She pulled his face back up to hers, desperately needing to taste him again.

She opened her mouth as she felt his do the same, and when his warm, smooth tongue slipped between her lips she felt shivers run down her spine. He was bold and dominant, showing her that without a doubt he would be the type of man that would make her head spin and still be a complete gentleman at the same time. She couldn't stop herself from letting out a pathetic needy whimper as he tasted her deeply, she wanted to completely surrender to all of it. Her reaction to him must have been what he was looking for because the next then she knew he was pushing her towards the bed with a growl. She wanted this. She wanted him to make the voices in her head that had been haunting for the past 5 years fall silent. She wanted him to make her feel like a woman again, she wanted to feel everything again.

Her entire body was shaking as she pulled away from his mouth. Any doubt she had about doing this faded when she saw an answering desperation in his eyes. He was right there with her, feeling the same thing that she was. Her heart was racing as she pulled back from him to get a small amount of distance from him. His eyes never left hers until he saw her hands pull at a string, untying her corset. He reached out to take over, pulling the strings out of the grommets, and threw the corset to the ground. She reached for him, taking hold of his jacket, swallowed hard and leaned in for another deep kiss. He tasted like rich wine, and she wanted to blame the feeling of drunkenness on that, even though she knew it was a lie. She felt like this because she wanted him, plain and simple, and he wanted her with just as much desperation.  
>For the first time in her life, Sophie felt herself perched on the edge of cliff, and instead of wallowing in fear she leaned over the edge and let go.<p>

With bravery she didn't know she had, she reached for the lapels of his coat, pushed it off his shoulders before reaching for the hem of his shirt. She paused when she felt his movements stall and she looked up at him. He watched at her as if she were a fleeting dream. Like he was afraid that if he blinked he would wake up and she would be gone from his life forever. She didn't want him to feel that way. She took his hand and pressed it to her cheek. Taking a deep shaky breath, he brushed her bottom lip with his thumb. She opened her mouth and took his thumb by her teeth, scraping the pad of his finger. Porthos' eyes widened and wasted no time throwing off his shirt and grabbing her about the waist, lifting her onto the bed.

He was incredible looking. Even in the dim glow cast from the flames that were roaring in the fireplace. She could see that he was strong, and the entire expanse of his broad chest was decorated with scars. Questions about how they happened formed in her mind. She wanted to ask him about them and probably would have if he wasn't reaching for his belt.

As it fell to the floor next to his shirt he met her eyes. She was suddenly embarrassed for staring. He placed a finger on her chin, lifting her face to his. Her eyes locked with his and she felt like he was reassuring her. This felt right and he knew it too. His hands reached out to her waist and slowly pulled her skirts past her hips to fall to the floor . She was left in front of him in nothing but her white chemise.  
>Porthos stood still for a moment, as if taking her in. She briefly wondered if he would be pleased with her body when she looked down and saw the evidence of his need. He reached for her again and pressed her onto the bed. She moved backwards giving him room to join her. He crawled up over her until she was resting below him when she saw him pause and could see the conflict in his eyes.<p>

"If you want me to stop you need to tell me now." He said, his voice impossibly low. "I don't know if I'll have the strength to stop later."

Sophie shook her head, ignoring the panic that came with the thought of him turning away, "Don't stop. I need this, I need to feel you in me.

He groaned as he kissed her again, letting his weight settle on her body as he ground his hardness against the apex of her thighs. It was amazing. She'd never felt anything like this before.

She ran her fingers through his curls as he moved his lips to her neck, collar bone and shoulders, covering them with hot, slow kisses. He grabbed the bottom of her chemise, lifting it over her head. He pulled back onto his heels and stared at her. Suddenly unsure, she pulled her hands up to cover herself, immediately self conscious under his intense gaze.

"Don't," he said as he moved her hands away, "I want to look at you."

She held her breath as he studied her and hoped he didn't turn away in disgust.

"My God your beautiful." He said and her kissed her with such urgency it made her whole body shiver. He lowered his head to her chest, pulling her nipple into his mouth as his hand moved to her other breast, his thumb slowly rolling the tip, elongating it. He took her between his teeth and pulled the red bud into his mouth while his other hand kneaded her. She gasped as she felt the slight pressure that had been building in her grow exponentially. She had never felt the sensations he was putting her through. Henri was always quick and rough and it had always hurt. He had never, during the entire time they were married, cause her to feel the things she was now feeling with Porthos.

Tears filled her eyes as his soft, full mouth moved on her body in the sweetest, most passionate and gentle way. His kissed the valley between her breasts and as his hands moved down her waist she knew that she would never be the same after tonight. Everything was tingling, from her head to her toes, and as she felt his thick, rough fingers come up between her legs to part her soaking wet flesh, a strangled cry tore out of her mouth. He was watching her face intently and she could do nothing but meet his stare. She wanted him to know what he was doing to her...how he was making her feel.

When he dipped his finger inside her body some part of the pain of her past fell away. A second one joined it in a smooth glide, reaching and finding that place inside her that she swore never existed. He moved his fingers in and out of her, repeating the motion as he hit that perfect little spot. His thumb started to rub a little nub that she didn't even know existed. Her hips moved of their volition, rocking against his hand as she felt the beginnings of something foreign starting to stir. She didn't want her first time feeling that to come from his fingers. She wanted the real thing.

Emotion choked her as she tried to speak, "I want to feel you, Porthos."

He kissed her and then reached down to slide the last piece of his clothing away, leaving them completely bare in so many ways.

She stated to shake uncontrollably with anticipation. But when he began to kiss her again, full of need and passion, it all fell away. He held her eyes as she felt him reach down, and then she felt the blunt tip of his manhood as he rubbed it gently through her slick wetness before he began to push inside.

She really did feel like a virgin. He was very well endowed and she could feel everything as he entered inch, by inch, until he was fully inside her. She felt the tears slide out of her eyes from the pressure, and he wiped them away.

"Am I hurting you?" He asked in a pained whisper.

"It feels amazing," She answered honestly. It was true, she had never felt anything so wonderful.

Porthos smiled as he lowered his head to her neck and began to thrust in and out of her in deep, slow movements that had her gasping out at the sensation. He buried his face against her shoulder and she could feel a change in him. Before he had acted as if she were glass, but now he didn't hold back.

His hand came down to take the smooth skin of her hip in a tight grasp and he began to move his hips in earnest. He was so powerful and she could feel every inch of him inside her. She felt so full. It wasn't long before she could feel the pressure in her beginning to coil even tighter. She wrapped her arms around his back, holding him to her and when she got to the point where she felt as if she couldn't take any more she shattered.

Sophie cried out in a low sob as she let go and came with such intensity that it was sweet and agonizing at the same time. But he didn't stop, he rode out her orgasm before letting his own take hold. He groaned loudly at his release and she could feel the pulsing of him emptying into her.

They both stilled, breathing hard, and completely and utterly exhausted. He shifted as he pulled out of her and leaned his forearm onto the bed to rest on it as he stayed above her, studying her.

He brushed her hair out of her face and smiled. "You're amazing. I could do that every day for the rest of my life and never tire of it."

She giggled as happiness overwhelmed her and almost didn't recognize the sound. It had been so long since she'd felt this free.

"I didn't know it could be like that." she said as she ran her fingers up and down his chest. She looked up at him to see a look of confusion on his face.

"What do you mean? Be like what?" he said.

"I didn't know it could feel so good. Its only ever been uncomfortable, almost painful before now." she said with a small smile. "But that, that was the most amazing feeling I've ever felt."

He chuckled as he laid down next her her, moving her wavy mass of hair to the side and pulled her against him.

"Why don't you close your eyes and try to sleep, hmm? Its been a long day." he said as he kissed her temple.

She yawned and snuggled back into him. "Don't tell me what to do," she said sleepily, "I'll go to sleep when I feel like it."

She felt him chuckle and tighten his arms around her as she fell asleep.

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><p><strong>SQUEEELL!<strong>


	9. Chapter 9

**Oh man you guys...I can't even begin to apologize for my absence. I hit a bit of writers block. I know where I want to take this story but I'm having a hard part putting the pieces together. In the meantime, lets go ahead and enjoy some pure smut. There's not much plot progress in here but it isn't always necessary...if you're picking up what I'm putting down. ;-) Also! This whole chapter is in Portho's POV for absolutely no reason. Enjoy!**

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><p>He felt a warm arm brush against his stomach and the soft air of a woman on his chest. Sleepily, Porthos opened his eyes as images of the hours before flowed into his mind. Wet kisses, moans of pleasure, and the taste of sweetness overwhelmed him. A smile graced his face as he turned to see the culprit of his memories. Porthos brushed the auburn curls away from Sophie's face as she snuggled closer to him, her soft breath warm against his skin. A thought hit him out of nowhere and he cursed under his breath at his forgetfulness. He had completely forgot about Stefan. It must have been well after midnight and he was late sending a replacement to cover his watch. Sighing, not wanting to leave the warmth of Sophie's arms, he placed a small, soft kiss on her forehead, brushing his thumb against her freckled cheek. Sophie's eyes slowly opened, clouded with sleep before a sweet smile appeared on her face upon the realization of where she was.<p>

"Hello," she said as she stretched her arms over her head, giving him a fantastic view of her breasts at the thin blanket slipped off her body. Realizing what had happened, she quickly covered herself as a blush enveloped her cheeks.

"Good morning," he chuckled, clearly amused at her embarrassment, "Still modest after all of that?"

She sent him a playful glare before looking out of the window.

"It can't be morning already..." Said Sophie, confused.

"Not quite. I have to go find a replacement for Stefan and I didn't want you to wake up and wonder where I've gone."

"How thoughtful of you, monsieur."

He chuckled as he rolled out of bed, searching the darkness for his clothes. One by one he found them scattered across the floor. He slipped his pants on and looked over his shoulder at Sophie as he knotted the strings. She was laying on her side clutching the blanket to her chest, her hair fanned over the pillow. He could see the curves of her body clearly and wanted nothing more than to climb back into bed with her, to run his fingers through her hair and pull her flush against him as he did the night before. Sophie pulled her bottom lip into her mouth as she watched him, her cheeks becoming flushed. He was glad this desire he felt wasn't one sided.

"Are you staring at me madame?" Porthos asked as he threw his shirt over his head.

"I am," she laughed, "I'm shameless."

Smiling, he leaned over the bed to hover over Sophie, resting his hands on either side of her as he gently pushed his lips against hers, wanting to kiss her one more time before he left. Forgetting about her modesty, she let go of the blanket to pull him closer. He moved his hand to her back, pulling her against him as his tongue followed the curve of her lips, trying to taste as much of her as he could. He could feel her warm breasts press against his chest and could feel her nipples harden even through his shirt. He moaned, the feeling and taste of her overwhelming him. Sophie ended the kiss and leaned her forehead against his.

"Weren't you going somewhere?"

"Hmm?" He kept his eyes closed, trying to savor the feeling.

"Didn't you have somewhere to go?" She laughed softly.

He opened his eyes to see a smile grace her luscious lips and the corners of her eyes creased in laughter. He loved seeing her like this.

"Oh, right. I suppose I should…" he leaned his head towards the door and she nodded in answer.

"I'll be back soon." He grunted as he pulled away and walked out the door.

Porthos made his way to the other side of the garrison, where the new recruits were housed to retrieve a replacement for Stefan. The night air was cool against his skin as it pulled him out of the heated fog that seemed to envelop him every time he was with Sophie. She was so utterly happy at this very moment, such a contrast from where she was the day before. A thought suddenly occurred to him. He wanted her to be happy. Plain and simple. How did this even happen? He had known this woman for less than two days and yet, somehow, her happiness had now taken precedence over everything else. Porthos tried to convince himself that it was because Sophie was Aramis' cousin that he felt this responsibility over her but he know that wasn't the truth. The feeling and knowledge of this left him excited and terrified at the same time. He didn't have experience with these kinds of feelings. His childhood romance with Flea was great while it lasted but it was a young love and they eventually grew into two separate people. And Alice…well, his love with Alice was fleeting. They had cared for one another deeply but they didn't want the same things. Other than the two of them, he had only ever spent his nights with women of the night, prostitutes that cared more for coin than for love. But Sophie, he felt completely different about her than anyone else. The problem that his caused was obvious...she was married.

Porthos shook his head in frustration as he came upon a door which held a new recruit. He knocked and heard a crash followed by a curse. He grinned as he imagined how annoyed the man inside must be.

"WHAT?!" A voice from inside shouted through the door.

Porthos didn't bother to answer and fixed a stern glare on his face when the door finally flew open.

"I said..." the boy said as he finally looked up and noticed Porthos, "Sir! I'm sorry I didn't realize..."

"You need to learn to respect your superiors." Porthos said in a low and menacing voice. He wasn't actually angry but it was too much fun giving the recruits a hard time.

"Yes sir."

"I need you to go to the market to replace Stefan. You are two watch the owner of the Berceau de l'Espoir and his wife. Make sure you are not seen. I don't want them to know we are watching them. I'll send him back out to replace you in the morning and you'll report to me everything you've witnessed. Is that clear?"

"Yes sir."

"Good. Get dressed and get down there immediately."

Porthos walked away and made his way back to his room. As he walked inside he noticed Sophie had fallen back asleep, curled into herself, her bare back to the door. The sun was starting to rise and what little light came through the window had highlighted the fading bruises on her back. Anger immediately coursed through him. He wasn't a naturally violent man, only killing when absolutely necessary, but the urge to track down the man who did this to her and tear him to shreds was overwhelming. He walked closer to her and gently ran his fingers down her back and over the bruises. Apparently, she was a light sleeper as she turned to look at him.

"You're back." Her voice low and slightly gravely from sleep.

When the desire to kiss her hit him, he followed through. The few minutes that it took to walk from one side of the garrison to the other was enough time to make up his mind. He might not get much time with her, maybe just a few days, but he was going to savor every moment that he could. He pressed his lips to hers as warmth enveloped him. He cupped her face in his hands, intensifying the kiss, exploring every inch that he could. He felt her hands against his back as she pulled him closer. He ended the kiss, pulled away slightly, closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

"Is something wrong, Porthos?" She said, concern lacing her voice.

He brushed her hair back from her face, and kissed the tip of her nose making her face scrunch up and smile.

"No...it's just..." He sighed, "I don't now how long we'll get and I want to treasure every moment with you." He kissed her again, this time deeply. "I want to taste every inch of you..." he kissed her again, "and learn every curve of your body."

He pulled the blanket off her body and threw it on the floor along the remnants of their clothing that they had shed the night before. He could see her hands start to shake so he took them in his hands. He brought each one to his lips, kissing the pad of each finger. He looked into her eyes and what he saw overwhelmed him. Trust. She trusted him completely. No doubt could be seen in her eyes and he wanted to honor that trust. He wanted to take this slowly, to make love to her.

Porthos took her hands and placed them over her head, bringing his lips to her neck he trailed kisses from the base of her left ear to the hollow of her throat. He dipped his tongue into the hollow and felt her shiver. Her skin tasted sweet and smelled of the lavender she had bathed in the day before. He continued to trail kisses down her body, moving from the valley between her breasts to her navel. He glanced up and saw her watching him, her chest was heaving and he could see the desire radiate from her eyes. It took every ounce of self control he had not to take her right then and there. Making his way down to the apex of her thighs, he heard her gasp. He used his fingers to part her and feel her wetness. She was so incredibly wet and it made him throb. He put his mouth to her and used his tongue to taste her. A strangled cry escaped her throat and he could feel her hands grasp his head, twisting her fingers in her hair. Using the flat of his tongue he explored her, tasting every inch and, in the process, learning what she liked, what made she squirm and moan. He could feel her getting close so he moved to that perfect little nub an kissed it. She gasped and moved her hips, pushing herself against him. Feeling her coming closer to completion, he inserted two of his fingers into her, curling them in a way that made her arch off the bed, and closed his lips back around her and pulled the nub back into his mouth. Immediately, she tightened her grip on his hair, her body shook and she came apart in his hands. Her juices flowed into his mouth and the lapped up every bit of her sweetness. He sat back and watched her body as it tensed and then relaxed before tensing again. It was a beautiful thing to witness.

As she started to come down from her high, she reached out for him, pulling him to her and kissed him thoroughly, her tongue exploring his mouth and tasting herself in the process. It was utterly erotic and drove him wild. He needed her, right now. He flipped her onto her stomach and grasped her about the hips, pulling her onto her knees. Taking hold of himself, he entered her from behind. When she moaned loudly and looked back at him, he lost his self-control. Grabbing hold of her waist, he trust into her, again and again. Each time he entered her, he was enveloped in her velvet warmth and it was all he could hardly keep himself together for a few moments before he lost himself in an explosion of pure pleasure.

He fell onto her back, resting his forehead between her shoulder blades and trying to catch his breath. He felt her grasp the hand of the arm that was wrapped around her stomach as he held her to him. Pulling away from her, he turned her around onto her back and laid down beside her. She turned on her side and snuggled onto his chest before taking his hand in hers, threading and unthreading her fingers with his in a lazy motion.

"What do you think will happen to us?" She said, her voice soft.

"I don't know." The silence was deafening.

"I wish there was a way I could stay here with you."

"Yeah. Me too." He sighed knowing that it was impossible, but it was nice to dream about. Out of nowhere, he heard a loud knock, followed by the creak of an opening door.

* * *

><p><strong>Man! A cliffhanger?! Sorry guys. :)<strong>


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